A New Spin on the ‘Same Old’

By: Ying Ying (Cam) Luo, Peer Advisor

“Although we perform The Nutcracker many times in our career, there is usually something new each season. For me this year I have new Icicles to my Snow Queen.” – Tanya Howard, National Ballet of Canada.

Tanya has played the characters of Mother, Snow Queen and Bee in The Nutcracker numerous times. Although she keeps playing these roles repetitively every season, she still finds something new for her performance each year. Recently, I’ve been seeking for magic power to boost up my motivation in this ever-so clockwork, job-searching season. Along with increasingly busy course work, I am feeling overwhelmed with the repetitive job applications during this typical job-hunting season. Unlike Tanya, the exhaustion and lack of motivation seem to make us forget to dig into “something new”, resulting in approaching things the same way, year after year. It’s important to stay motivated and to tackle seemingly old events in life, with new breathe. Maybe join a new club this year, master a new software, consider volunteering abroad, or initiating informational interviews with professionals in fields you are interested in. Taking a fresh approach, to an old exercise (job searching) will help you discover new avenues and ideas. While you are working on your resumės and cover letters, try to brainstorm “something new” and relate them to the jobs you are applying for. It will definitely be more refreshing than simply doing ‘the same old’, year after year.

Lessons From Career-Related Films

By: Jodi Bergman, Peer Advisor

As winter drags on and job applications continue to pile up, it is time to kick the job search into high gear. While most students are busy sending out resumės and cover letters, networking and going for interviews, sometimes I think we just need to take a break. But that doesn’t mean your time off can’t be fun and effective to your job search!

Below are some of the best career-focused movies that I’ve seen and why. In some instances the life lessons are clear, and in some they’re just plain amusing. Keep an eye out for career dos and don’ts and happy watching!

The Devil Wears Prada: Sometimes from the outside it seems like we should take that amazing-sounding job, or do that one little thing for our boss that’s actually completely inappropriate – until one day we find out the job has completely taken over our lives. When it comes to drastic career moves, trust your gut on what feels right and what feels like too big of a compromise…and always dress to impress 😉

The Pursuit of Happyness: “Don’t ever let somebody tell you that you can’t do something….You got a dream, you gotta protect it. You want something, go and get it, period.” I can’t say it much better than Will Smith, but this film shows it is never too late to change your career and make something of yourself – so go out there and try, try, try.

The Wolf of Wall Street: While a clear message from this film would be to not let greed go to your head, I think an equally valuable lesson is that your drive will make you successful if you refuse to quit. Despite his intentions, Jordan Belford created an empire from almost nothing, and if he can do that, imagine what you can do with your potential as well!

Jerry Maguire: This film shows that it is, in fact, possible to love what you do, make a difference, and be successful without turning into a Jordan Belford type. Even if you’re on the right career path, the company may not be the right fit for you. Don’t be afraid to take a chance and see what else is out there. The risk is great but the pay-off can be even greater.

Office Space: The lesson here is co-workers can make or break your situation. The best thing about this movie is the cast and how the characters work together (and sometimes completely mess with each other). They teach us how you can stand even the worst job when there are awesome people involved. Get to know the people in your work environment; they will help shape your experience.

It’s a Small World

By: Resi Walt, Peer Advisor

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!

Beware of the Brand

By: Amaryllis Jones, Peer Advisor

The concept of personal branding has become a popular subject when it comes to building an image of the “best me” to present to employers. But what I have come to realize is that people have a hard time understanding this concept because of the big B. What does branding mean to you? Branding is intended to tell potential employers what you can offer them and how you differentiate yourself from other candidates, but I find it increasingly difficult to project this demeanour when I am focused on meeting job application deadlines, attending networking events, volunteering, studying for midterms and dozens of other commitments. So I decided to scrap the “brand” terminology and focus on showcasing my individualism and personality.

I created a mantra called a “DAMN portfolio” (DAMN stands for documents, attire, media and network) where I focus on simple tricks to make myself stand out from other candidates, especially those who may have the same or, or even better qualifications for the job.

1. Documents – this aspect encompasses your cover letter, resumė and networking cards that tell your story on paper. There is nothing worse than a never-ending resumė that makes an employer feel like they are trapped in a spinning vortex (if they even read that much of it). Networking cards have been a trend but I always see students sticking to the basics with monotone colours and simple font. JAZZ IT UP! Tailor your card to the industry you are applying for and don’t be afraid to add some colour for a pop. But to take things a step forward, I applied the design of my networking cards to my cover letter and resumė to create a consistent look across all my documents. Snazzy right?

2. Attire – the key is to dress for success. Bring out your best attire, even if it means investing in a few sports jackets or blazers that you can interchange with a white dress shirt. The mistake students make is showing up to networking events dressed in jeans or running shoes. Consider every opportunity your last shot to seal the deal and kick it up a notch. If an event is “business casual” avoid graphic t-shirts, jeans, running shoes or leggings! With the Job Fair coming up on February 5th, consider slipping on a dress shirt and dress pants; not only does it put you into a professional mindset but it also shows employers that you are serious about the event.

3. Media – in terms of professional networking you want to start building a LinkedIn profile if you haven’t already. Setting up your account is the easy part; the difficult comes in when narrowing down what to display on the profile. A connection of mine had over 10 volunteer positions, 6 work positions and 20 skills displayed on her profile (not to mention a never-ending list of courses she has taken over the duration of her undergraduate). Narrow it down to your top positions that are most relevant to your career objective. Check out the Career Centre’s LinkedIn Workshop for an opportunity to revamp and redesign your page. My last tip is to beware of sharing your twitter handle with employers on your resume or LinkedIn. Make sure that you have an appropriate handle name (not @buffstud_92) and monitor what you tweet and re-tweet!

4. Network – last but far from least, you need to NETWORK. Go to any and every networking event you can attend, especially those that are free. It is a great opportunity to meet new people, pitch your “DAMN portfolio” and potentially connect with individuals who can kick-start your career! In an effort to connect students to career-center events, the Career Centre has created a Facebook page that posts updates on events for all students (search “Laurier Career Centre Events 2014 – Get Connected” and hit the ‘attend’ button)

And that, ladies and gentleman, is your unique DAMN Portfolio! I’d love to know what tricks and tips you have for career searching, networking and interviewing! Leave your comments below!

Shaping Up for Job Fair

By: Emma Duca, Peer Advisor

If you’ve stepped foot inside Laurier’s gym lately, you’ve probably found yourself struggling to find an available locker, waiting (im)patiently for a treadmill or having to work out with only a few inches of space between your mat and the sweaty person next to you. Suddenly the gym has become more crowded than the Toronto Eaton Centre on boxing day, and we all know why: New Year’s resolutions.

While you’re concentrating on getting fit in 2014, consider also making a resolution to get focused on your career-planning…starting with the upcoming Job Fair. You’ve probably seen the posters plastered across campus: on Wednesday February 5th, students and alumni from Wilfrid Laurier University, University of Waterloo, University of Guelph and Conestoga College are invited to attend and network with over one hundred employers from various organizations.

Now, if you’ve ever attended Job Fair or Career Fair before, you may have been slightly intimidated when you first walk in. But just like you were probably a little intimidated when you walked into a gym your very first time, its not as complicated as it looks. Think of the booths as the equipment lined up at the gym; you don’t have to spend time at every single one… in fact, you probably shouldn’t. A much more effective use of your time would be to decide beforehand what you would like to focus on, whether its core or cardio, summer jobs or a career track position, and plan your visit accordingly. Just as you spend time getting ready for the gym beforehand, digging out your running shoes and charging your iPod, spend some time preparing for Job Fair before you go. Research a few organizations that you’re particularly interested in, come up with some questions to ask the representatives, and have a few resumės or networking cards ready to hand out – how else will they remember you? Remember, unlike your workout sessions, Job Fair only comes around once a year (or maybe this is exactly like your workout sessions for some of you..) – so make the most of your time while you’re there!

If you’d like a little more guidance and preparation beforehand, make sure you attend the workshops being offered at the Career Centre on how to make the most of Job Fair (check the Calendar of Events for details).

“Make a Life, Not Just a Living”

By: Jess Amaro, Peer Advsisor

The other day I watched a TedTalks video of a lecture given by a thirteen-year-old student named Logan LaPlante.

Now, Logan isn’t your typical student. He doesn’t attend a traditional school with traditional classrooms or textbooks. Instead, Logan refers to his education as “Hackschooling”, which incorporates a number of different areas he’s involved in like creativity, technology and online resources, experiential classes and camps, and first and foremost: being happy and healthy. Every day he’s involved with new experiences and is constantly exploring not just the pages of a textbook, but the entire world around him, through experiments, research, internships, and…well…living!

In this TedTalk video, Logan brings up an interesting comment he heard when conducting an interview with an individual named Dr Roger Walsh, who has written about the “Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes” that Logan focuses on for his own happiness and health. Walsh noted that much of education today is oriented towards making a living, instead of making a life.

That line in particular really got me thinking about how crucial it is to do what makes you happy. Finding something you look forward to getting up for each day might not be an easy journey, but it sounds well worth it because of the sense of satisfaction and fulfillment it brings. And it seems as though now more than ever, both things are difficult to find.

Fortunately, there are so many different things that you can explore during your time here at Laurier! Being a Golden Hawk means you have access to so many different opportunities and resources that can help you discover who you are and what you’re passionate about, and how to turn that into what you do with your life. And yes, you guessed it – the Career Centre is one of many great resources at Laurier to help you with that process.

Maybe Hackschooling isn’t exactly an option, but Logan’s ideas about learning and finding happiness can still be applied in many different ways. The simplest way is to just get out there and try new experiences!

You can check out Logan LaPlante’s TedTalk here:

Two Sets of Eyes Are Better Than One

By: Shelby Weber, Peer Advisor

For some strange reason, many people would rather hand over their resumės to a complete stranger, than pass it along to a friend or family member. Our resumės contain information about our education, past experiences, and achievements, all of which our friends and family know about, but yet, it is a document that many people feel too vulnerable sharing with their peers, or people close to them. It’s strange that we would hide our resumės from those who will be most honest with us – like it is some sort of sacred document, or personal diary.

Protecting your resumė from people that will give you honest feedback is one of the worst things that you can do for yourself, as another set of eyes can catch small errors that you may have missed on your own. What seems like a top of the line resumė to you, could look quite average to your peers, or even worse, potential employers. If you want the perfect resumė, you must take advantage of all the people and tools set in place to help you.

Laurier’s Career Centre provides countless resources for students looking to improve their resumės. First, I would recommend attending the Resumė Writing Workshop. Second, I would recommend stopping by a weekly Career Centre Resumė Drop-In Booth on campus where one of your Peers (who is trained on resumės!), can provide you with some tips for improvement. Having your resumė viewed by a peer, or a Consultant means you have nothing to lose. But handing in a resumė (that has never had a second set of eyes) to a prospective employer means a job to lose!

Laurier’s Career Centre, and Peer Advisors, can help you craft a resumė that you will be proud to show not only to employers, but also your friends and family.

Slowing Down Time

By: Ying Ying (Cam) Luo, Peer Advisor

Coming towards the end of the year, it is the time to create some New Year’s resolutions while reflecting back on the past year. Going through a busy semester, I have an ambitious goal for next year, which is to slow down the time. I know it is actually possible, especially after I read an interesting article, ‘Time Flies: Here’s How to Slow Down Time’, written by Jessica Stillman (http://www.inc.com/jessica-stillman/how-to-make-your-days-feel-longer.html).

Jessica says, “in order to slow down the time, the key is to keep adding newness to our brains or bring in new stimulus to our lives.” Does it sound quite counter-intuitive for you? To make a day feel longer, in our common sense, it would be doing nothing during a day; but actually it is the opposite. Jessica points out five tricks to make us feel we have more time in our days: keep learning, visit new places, meet new people, try new activities, and be spontaneous – with all of these tips leading us to have a more productive and meaningful day. Some of these tricks can really work well with job searching where you can always get something new out of it.

– Keep learning
Check out the Career Centre’s online and in-centre resources, you will learn something new related to career fields of interest. As you process all this information, the conscious learning process will make you feel more fulfilled.

– Visit new places & meet new people
What can be a better opportunity than Job Fair on February 5th, 2014 for you to visit a new place and meet new people? The Job Fair will bring in new stimulus to our daily life, since we will have the opportunities to network with people from all different industries.

– Try new activities
I always regard volunteering as an incredible way to try out new activities and build up new skills. Paying attention to the new training and skills from different tasks, you will realize how not only longer your days will become – but they will be all the more meaningful.

Gap Year? No Way! An Embrace Year? Sounds Good!

By: Amaryllis Jones, Peer Advisor

The semester is quickly coming to an end and many 4th year students find themselves scrambling to land the perfect job or be accepted to the best institution for post-graduate studies. But what we fail to realize is that the best decision may be to take a B-R-E-A-K.

Why is it that the societal norm of “success” is to…

a) Graduate and find a job
b) Graduate and continue on to further education

I have grown up being told by my family, instructors and mentors that taking a gap year (aka a year off) can be more detrimental. Well, I beg to differ. There is an endless amount of benefits to taking some time off after graduation to soul-search, define what your goals are, and reflect on the value of your own personal achievements thus far. I read a fantastic article written by Rosemary Counter at Maclean’s ( http://www2.macleans.ca/2013/02/12/mind-the-gap-2/ )
that examined the perception that a gap year can be detrimental in the eyes of employers. She points out the positives of a gap year, especially for Generation Y’s. Taking the time to explore your options not only allows you to ensure that you are making the best decision for YOU, but can permit you the luxury of time to broaden your perspective of the working world.

While we are on the topic, I would like to express my dislike of the terminology ‘gap year’. To me, a gap symbolizes a void or intentional delay. But a year off (if used wisely) can be extremely valuable in terms of exploring careers and yourself through volunteering, travelling and talking to professionals in multiple fields and industries. Not to mention the chance to create a differentiation factor that could set you apart from other graduates across Canada! So instead, let’s call it the ‘Embrace Year’!

Never rush to make a hasty decision! Take the time to check out this short video about some of the services at the Career Centre that can help you understand how to begin your career exploration process effectively. A process that may in fact warrant a year off after your undergraduate degree to do effectively: http://tinyurl.com/p9fc5oq

So You’ve Landed Your First Job…Now What?

By: Jodi Bergman, Peer Advisor

Congratulations! You are one of the lucky few who have successfully secured employment and are moving full speed ahead towards success when…speed bump, you find out that your brand new job is not everything you thought it would be. Sometimes we become so set on securing employment that we’ll accept jobs we are not well suited for, and end up in a position that we don’t want to be.

But do not fret! This is not the end and there are still things you can do to improve your experience.

Start by talking to your manager and colleagues about opportunities within the role. This will show your ability to take initiative while expressing your personal job objectives and interests. Who knows, if you tell your boss that you’re interested in marketing, maybe he or she can set you up with projects more tailored to that field of interest. Keeping an open communication with your manager about what you’d like out of a job is important and will only benefit your long term development as an employee.

Get involved with the workplace outside of work. Taking an interest in the workplace environment, meeting new people and connecting with your colleagues is a great way to improve your experience while at work. Even if you aren’t necessarily happy with all of the aspects of your job, you can still enjoy going into work, seeing new friends and having a new experience. So join the social committee, hit up the x-mas party and don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. You’ll have fun while networking as well!

You can’t expect to love every aspect of every job you have. However, whether or not you are completely satisfied, it is still important to put your best foot forward, try your best and keep an open mind. While you may not think that you would enjoy event planning, you may find that you enjoy certain aspects of the job. Look for the positive in all situations and you will come out of it more knowledgeable and skilled.

At the end of the day, if you are extremely unhappy in a role – get out of there! Finding the perfect career is an ongoing journey, and the experiences you collect along the way are only bringing you closer to your dream job. Maintaining a positive attitude can also help you land your next job, so make sure you are leaving the role on a positive note. The relationships, experiences and references that you collect are extremely valuable, so make sure even if you are crossing a bridge, you don’t burn it along the way.