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Spring – Where Are You?

As the final week of class is about to wrap up, and we all head into the treacherous exam period, the only thing on everyone’s mind is spring! After this long, loooong winter I don’t think anyone could be any more excited for the snow to melt.

The same excitement that I have for spring is the excitement that I am feeling towards completing another year of my undergrad. Every student should feel proud of themselves for their accomplishments this year, whether that means you got involved in a club, made some new friends, or even if you just stuck with it despite how hard it was!

We put a lot of pressure on ourselves trying to get the best grades possible, to hand everything in on time, to balance our time with family and friends. Now it’s time to take a deep breath! Let’s all step back and reflect upon the year. What did you enjoy the most? What are you proud of? What can you improve? Did you regret anything? Maybe you regret that you did not get more involved. Or maybe you regret that you didn’t make the most out of every single day.

It was this time last year, that I was regretting not being more involved in school. I felt like I hadn’t put myself out there or met very many new people. As I was going through my emails, I discovered that the Career Centre was looking for Peers to volunteer for the next school year. I applied right away and haven’t looked back since. I met some amazing new friends, learned from my mentors, and even got a job through one of the projects I had to complete as a volunteer! I highly recommend applying to be a 2014-2015 Career Centre Peer. You will learn so many valuable skills. For more information about the volunteer progam, and how to apply: http://navigator.wlu.ca/career/student/planning/volunteer/peer.htm

The Career Centre Blog Contest

Last semester, the Career Centre held a contest and we asked the Laurier student body to answer this question in the form of a blog entry: “What did you want to be when you were a child and how does that compare to your career aspirations now?”

In true Goldenhawk style, we received some amazing responses! I would like to take this opportunity to share the winning submission, as well as others that came in a close second.

Laura VanZant was the winner of the blog contest, with the following entry:

“As a child I was a loner who was far too into books and constantly wanted to grow up and magically become my favourite fictional characters. From age six to twelve I firmly believed I could be Hermione Granger when I grew up. Now, I am studying history with the intention of getting my Master’s degree in Librarian Sciences. In my own way I am still becoming Hermione, and devoting my life to the dusty and knowledge-filled shelves of libraries. Just like her, I will be surrounded by books all day long, and will hopefully be able to sneak them off the shelves occasionally for a quick peek. All this time, I have been like the character of Hermione, and the reason I wanted to be her as a child is a result of me being able to relate to her. I can still relate to her, and that is why my career choices are strangely similar to her actions in the Harry Potter books. I find it funny that I am now able to grow up and become what I wanted to be all along, albeit without the full body switch.”

What a heart-warming response! Thank-you Laura! As well, thank-you to everyone who took the time to submit such thoughtful responses. It was truly a pleasure to read all the submissions, which ranged from a creative writer inspired by marine science, a pianist who dreamed of performing at Carnegie Hall, and someone motivated to become a mechanic based on an important message sent to him by his grandfather.

After reading all the different entries, it struck me that as a child you let your dreams and imagination run wild. You do not have a sense of the impossible; there are no limits to your career aspirations. So what changes as you get older? You start to place boundaries on yourself. Through reading the blog entries, I realized that if you try, you CAN incorporate your dreams and passions into your career path. Just because we are older, and have a more realistic understanding of the world, does not mean that we should dismiss our dreams.

It’s a Small World

I often find myself repeating this phrase on a weekly basis. I say this every time I hear about a connection made between people living several hours apart from one another. These days it seems that people are meeting over the internet faster than they are in person! There is no doubt that the internet and social media has made our world seem smaller than it really is.

In the past couple months, I have heard of two relationships starting because the couple met over Twitter. In my own life, I have engaged in conversations over Twitter with complete strangers, simply because we were both interested in the same topic/post. Twitter has definitely become my favourite social media tool. There are endless possibilities when it comes to the people and organizations you can “follow”. If you want to get noticed by a particular organization, start following them and begin engaging with their Twitter posts. It is an excellent way to get noticed!

Another favourite tool of mine is Skype. This is truly an excellent way to talk to people who live in another province or country. You are able to talk “face-to-face” with someone – which is much more personal than emailing – without the long-distance phone charges. Think of it like meeting up with someone for coffee, but over the internet. I was able to set up an informational interview with a woman living in Indiana. I would never have been able to gain such meaningful insight from her without conversing over Skype. Some things are just not possible over Twitter and Facebook.

If you are not already a part of LinkedIn, I strongly encourage you to create an account. It is a great way to meet professionals in the field you are interested in. All you have to do is take elements of your resumė and add them to your profile. Just like Twitter, you can follow or become part of groups that interest you. You can join in on discussions as well.

Also, take a minute to look up a new organization called Ten Thousand Coffees, an organization aiming to facilitate meaningful connections for students. Here is the link to a Globe and Mail article on Ten Thousand Coffees:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/careers/career-advice/program-connects-mentors-with-aspiring-leaders/article16420243/

So I ask you, why not take advantage of these tools in your own career planning? There are numerous outlets for you to start connecting and conversing with professionals who can provide advice and mentorship. As Ten Thousand Coffees has proved, most people are willing to offer advice if you just ask!

Your Christmas Career List

Wow! I cannot believe how fast the fall semester has gone by. I probably say this every year, but this semester time seemed to go by especially fast. I blinked and November was gone. Fall is definitely my favourite time of year and I am sad to see it leave us (no pun intended). Winter is making its way into our lives slowly but surely, and everyone has Christmas on their minds! There are not a lot of people who don’t like Christmas-time, but for some people it can be really stressful, especially the aspect of Christmas shopping. Let’s face it, society in general puts a lot of pressure on people to “buy the perfect gift”.

When it comes to gift-giving, I think it is very proactive to make a list ahead of time. I try to brainstorm a few possible ideas for each person on my list, just in case the one idea doesn’t pan out. It seems that whenever I make a list, I avoid having those last-minute panic attacks. I also think it is a good idea to set a budget. Whether it is $10/person to $50/person does not matter, just stick to your budget! Setting a budget helps you avoid over spending and regretting a huge bill. I have parents, grandparents, three siblings, and a significant other so things can get out of hand quite quickly if I’m not careful.

Of course, I can relate Christmas prep to career prep! Again, society puts a lot of pressure on people our age to “find the right career”. A lot of students let this pressure weigh down on them. I think a lot of the pressure and stress has to do with the assumption that finding the right career is all about decisions and making the right ones at the right time. But instead think about that career selection like your Christmas list – simply generating ideas, and having alternate ideas as a back-up. Just like you might make a list and budget for Christmas shopping, make one for career planning! For example:

Career Planning List
• Attend a workshop at the Career Centre
• Try some online self-assessments to understand yourself better
• Research different industries
• Conduct informational interviews
• Volunteer
• Meet with a Career Consultant
• VISIT THE CAREER CENTRE WEBSITE! wlu.ca/career

Informational Interviewing is a Great Way to Network!

Ever since I started here at the Career Centre as a Peer Advisor, I have learned numerous networking strategies, including ‘informational interviewing’. This type of networking is about setting up a meeting with a person who is in a position or organization that is of interest to you. Since I was so excited about the idea of informational interviewing, I got right to work researching organizations connected to my area of interest – agriculture. Next, I sent out about 6 or 7 emails to the general email address for the company. Within a week, I had replies from 3 of the organizations! Since then, I have been able to set up an interview with 2 organizations. The first person lives in the United States so we will be speaking over Skype. The second person has their office in Guelph so I have set up a face-to-face to interview!

Informational interviewing is beneficial in so many ways. First of all, it allows you to conduct in-depth research on possible career options. The types of questions you can ask the person include: How do I get started in this field? What are the advantages and disadvantages to this career? What type of entry-level jobs are available? What are the latest trends in this particular industry? The person you are interviewing will be able to provide you with accurate and useful information. After the interview, you will have a better sense of whether the job/company would be a good fit for you.
A key advantage of conducting informational interviews is to expand your network. The person you have interviewed may have ideas of other people they can refer you to, and will be able to assist you in making further connections.

Thirdly, I have learned first-hand that informational interviewing helps you develop yourself professionally. It gives you the perfect chance to build your confidence, demonstrate your initiative, and showcase your skills. So much can be gained from putting yourself out there and meeting new people. Since setting up my informational interviews, not only do I feel more motivated to start my career planning, I also feel excited about it!

If you want to get started with information interviewing, visit this link – you won’t regret it!

Click to access Informational%20Interview%202012.pdf

Strong Time Management Skills Begins In Your Student Years

I love the beginning of the semester because it is an opportunity to start fresh. Of course, it also gives me a reason to go shopping for clothes, shoes and school supplies. Since the semester has just begun, take the time NOW to get organized! I truly think this is key to a successful semester, not to mention the key to a successful career. You will feel much better about what lies ahead if you are prepared for it.

One of the tasks that is always a part of my new semester preparation is gathering all of my due dates and deadlines and writing them down. Go through each one of your syllabi and put the dates into a calendar, your phone, or an agenda; or even have the dates written in several different places just for insurance! My favourite way to stay organized is the four-month calendar. It allows me to see each week of the semester, and whether it is going to have a heavy work load or a light work load. That way I am better able to manage my time and I can better understand what else I have time for. It always makes me feel better to visualize the whole semester ahead of time instead of just “getting through” one week at a time. As well, getting organized now prevents the possibility of handing in an assignment late, or even forgetting a deadline.

Wherever you find yourself employed, your organization skills will always be an asset. Employers value time management because they know that they can trust you to work independently and get things done efficiently and effectively. Check out this presentation on time management skills from WLU Learning Services:

http://www.wlu.ca/page.php?grp_id=1866&p=12594

2013 Peer Advisor Here I Come!

Ever since the first day I stepped foot on the Laurier campus, I knew this was the place I wanted to be for my university experience. During frosh week, I was amazed at how many different groups and organizations existed at Laurier. All of these peoples and clubs enhanced the Laurier community in their own special way. I couldn’t wait to find the place where I would (hopefully) leave my mark!

I will admit that it took me some time to come out of my shell and to really put myself out there, not knowing what the response would be. I think we all struggle when it comes to taking chances because we are never sure if it will be worth it or if it will just end in disaster.

But something just felt right about the Peer Advisor position. I knew that if I got the chance, I would really enjoy helping other students. The Career Development Centre has so much to offer students and alumni, and it is right at their fingertips. I know that one of my roles as a Peer Advisor will be promoter, and I can’t wait to start making people aware of all the different resources available to them. I know that when I really started exploring the website, I was amazed at how many resources there were. Suddenly, thinking about my career path isn’t so scary! I hope that other students will be able to enjoy these same feelings of relief as I have.

Finally, I hope that my role as a Peer Advisor will not feel like “work” but rather it will be enjoyable because I will constantly be meeting people and gaining experience for a future career in Communications. I am so glad that I took a chance at something I believed in.