Spring – Where Are You?

By: Resi Walt, Peer Advisor

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

Ode to the Job Hunter

By: Jess Amaro, Peer Advisor

You’ve been digging through the postings
Looking for the perfect one
Or at least some that are relevant
To the schoolwork that you’ve done

You’ve spent hours on your resume
Perfecting every line
Making sure that you sound worthy
But you’re not feeling so fine

Because that phone call never came
The job offer never sent
And the deadline for acceptance
Already came and went

It’s bad enough that you have essays
And assignments that are due
And you’re drowning in your readings
You’d like to do some sleeping too

So with every day that passes
With no offer here nor there
You’re getting to the point
Of ripping out all of your hair

But if you give up now
You won’t get where you want to be
And the stressing and the work
Will have been for nothing, see?

So keep trying and keep looking
Don’t give up and don’t despair
The Career Centre can help
(And you can keep all of your hair)

Finally…A Test With No Wrong Answers!

By: Jodi Bergman, Peer Advisor

Anyone who knows me knows that I love personality tests. “Which Hogwarts house do you belong to” (Gryffindor!), “What reality show should you be on” (The Bachelorette…blech) and “Are you cool?” (The answer is yes). These quizzes are all fun ways to gather more insight into what you value and enjoy. So when I heard the Career Centre offers assessments on personality type and interests, I signed up right away.

Now, while the quizzes listed above can be amusing, what the Career Centre offers is a little different to anything you’ll find on Buzzfeed, or to the tests we had to take in Grade 10 careers class (where the three results you could receive were that you should be a teacher, a doctor or a flight attendant depending on if you answered “yes” to enjoying travel). No, I’m talking about legitimate assessments that can help you identify how your personality and interests relate to the world of work.
I won’t dive into the details of the actual assessments and outcomes – there is a debrief meeting you have with a Career Consultant who goes over all of that. What I will tell you is some of the success I have had with assessments myself.

For a couple years I thought I wanted to be a consultant. I love working with people, problem-solving and improving on existing processes. However, according to my personality assessment, I am an ‘Intuitive’ thinker – meaning I look at things in a very high level and holistic way (vs a Sensor who prefer facts, detail and micro-level thinking). This trait may work against me as a consultant as consultants need to examine all the details of a scenario before making a well thought out recommendation. Further, as a ‘Feeler’ instead of a ‘Thinker’, I make decisions very subjectively and sometimes objective thinking is better for the good of a corporation. These personality traits wouldn’t necessarily make me a BAD consultant, but may not fulfill what I would prefer in a career in a way that another job could. By taking into consideration jobs in line with my personality traits, I can find something fulfilling that would motivate me to succeed.

At the end of the day, assessments are not a one-stop shop that will answer all of your questions and hand you the perfect career. However, when thinking about what will motivate you in the world of work and what kinds of jobs you’re looking for, assessments provide perspective and insight you may not get otherwise. The important thing is to go into it having an open mind and answering the questions honestly. If you don’t like the results, nothing is written in stone. Assessments are simply adding an additional angle on how to think critically about yourself as it pertains to the world of work so you can make an informed decision about your career options. So take an assessment or two, what have you got to lose?

Earn a Degree While Fulfilling Your Wanderlust

By: Emma Duca

How many of you would like to travel? If you are anything like me, you tend to experience permanent wanderlust… checking Expedia flights in your spare time, posting pictures every #throwbackthursday of your past adventures abroad, and constantly daydreaming about driving to the airport and taking the next flight out. Unfortunately, we all have things holding us back, in particular, school, time and money. I have agonized for weeks and weeks over this complex problem (actually, more like 30 seconds), and came up with a solution: STUDY ABROAD. You can travel and experience life abroad while earning a degree, and not feeling like you are wasting precious time. In addition, there are many scholarships available to students wishing to study abroad to help them fund their tuition and other expenses.

Now, how do you begin to narrow down the hundreds of options available? So many countries, so many schools, so many programs. Well, if you scroll down a little bit, you will find an article written by yours truly, entitled “R-E-S-E-A-R-C-H” all about, well, conducting research! Go ahead and give it a read, I’ll wait.

I recently attended the Study and Go Abroad Fair in Toronto, and met with numerous representatives from schools all over the world. Speaking with them allowed me to gain important information, not only about the programs, but the school’s atmosphere, the country itself, and how I would fit in within that surrounding. Although the fair has already occurred, here is a link to their blog, full of articles about the different experiences students have had studying, volunteering, and working abroad:

http://blog.studyandgoabroad.com/

If you’re interested in studying abroad, but the idea of moving to a different country for up to a few years makes you a little nervous, consider completing a semester or two of your undergraduate degree aboard. Laurier International has partnered with over 60 universities all over the world for the Study Exchange Program, allowing you to pay Laurier tuition and earn credits toward your degree while living and breathing a new and unique culture. Below are the links to their webpage and Facebook page:

http://www.wlu.ca/homepage.php?grp_id=151

https://www.facebook.com/LaurierStudentExchangeProgram

Bon Voyage!

The “Fine Dining” of Corporate Etiquette

By: Amaryllis Jones, Peer Advisor

I had a great opportunity to attend the “Dining Etiquette” event hosted by Laurier Alumni featuring Charles ‘the Butler’ MacPherson. To everyone’s surprise we had a lot to learn about the do’s and don’ts when dining. It never crossed my mind that during business dinners or networking lunches, employers are potentially using this opportunity to observe my behaviours and table manners to evaluate my ability to be professional when interacting socially. I mean, who knew that using your dinner knife to butter your bread roll was a crime? I learned so much from the event but I want to focus on sharing some tips about networking events that can be useful for students when engaging with prospective employers and unfamiliar faces in a social setting. I don’t know about you, but when the hors d’oeuvres start flowing out nothing else matter but snagging a handful of quiche and a few chicken skewers to kick things up. Overeating not only takes you away from the networking aspect of the event but it opens up the opportunity for messy situations and hands that are too full to greet people with a handshake. Charles’ tip was easy – before events, limit your intake, no matter how delicious the jumbo shrimp look. As for lamb chops and things on a stick? Charles recommends avoiding these items and opt for a few “one-bite” options. When it comes to the drinks…you want to maximize the experience so hold your drink with your left hand so your right hand is free to shake hands!

I encourage all of you to do some research into dining etiquette (even inquire about a class or look out for other opportunities from Laurier) and definitely pick up a copy of Charles’ book “The Butler Speaks: A Return to Proper Etiquette, Stylish Entertaining and the Art of Good Housekeeping.” This book is worth the read and can definitely differentiate you from other job candidates at networking events.

The Career Centre Blog Contest

By: Resi Walt, Peer Advisor

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.

Standing Out In Interviews with George Costanza

By: Kristyn Mott, Peer Advisor

I was watching Seinfeld the other day and it was the episode where George Costanza has his interview for the New York Yankees. I found it quite funny because he does everything that you are basically told not to do in an interview. He uses a very laid-back and unprofessional conversational style, he is wearing non-professional clothes, he explains why he quit his previous job in a negative light, he didn’t shake the boss’s hand, he critiqued everything the organization stood for, and is the complete opposite of every applicant that applied for the job. Ironically enough, he ends up getting hired. Although George Costanza had a horrible interview, you can actually learn from him. Now, I am not saying to act how he did in interviews, in fact I encourage you to do the complete opposite. What I am saying is that you need to stand out from the other applicants. Obviously your competition will be emphasizing the same qualities as you might be, so you need to think critically about how stand out from the other applicants. Make yourself memorable in your interview, just not the way that George did. Also, the only reason why George got hired after a horrible interview was based on the fact that Seinfeld is a hilarious TV show – and unfortunately not real life.

R-E-S-E-A-R-C-H

By: Emma Duca

For many of you, the time may be approaching to graduate. Those exciting thoughts of the cap and gown and that precious diploma gripped tightly in your hands tend to be accompanied by terrifying thoughts of “well…what now?” The lucky ones will have a job lined up and ready to go the minute they step off that stage. However, not everyone happens to be in that boat. Whether you’re considering graduate school, an internship, or maybe trying to find a full-time job, my best advice is to do your RESEARCH. There is nothing worse than finding a master’s program that is perfect for you, and sitting down to create your application, only to find out that the deadline was two weeks ago. It is best to start looking into programs and/or jobs of interest as early as possible, not only to stay up to date on deadlines, but also to give yourself time to find references, and get any questions you may have about the application answered.

Furthermore, it is important to keep your options open. Remember all of the schools and programs you looked into in high school for your undergraduate degree? Well, there are even more possibilities open to you now, so don’t limit yourself to one field or one location. Perhaps now would be the perfect time to see if the west coast really is the best coast. Or consider an internship abroad; the valuable independence skills you will gain, not to mention the ability to immerse yourself and thrive in a foreign culture are unique skills that will impress future potential employers (plus the amount of sightseeing you would get to do doesn’t hurt either…).

Whatever interests you have, make sure that you consider all available paths you could take towards that “ideal career”. Also, don’t be afraid to talk to others who are currently employed in your field of interest – they likely took some very different routes to get to where they are now, and chances are that you will be inspired by some of their success stories.

Finally, make sure to come and visit the career centre when conducting your research. The resource centre here is full of books, brochures, guides, and other material to help you explore the many opportunities that are available!

The Seinfeld Strategy

By: Jessica Amaro, Peer Advisor

An old classmate of mine posted an article recently that talked about something called “The Seinfeld Strategy.” (You can read it here: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/231023)

It’s pretty simple: pick a task that is “meaningful enough to make a difference, but simple enough that you can get it done” and focus on doing that every day. Don’t focus on results or performance, but instead on “not breaking the chain.” For Jerry Seinfeld, that meant writing jokes each day.

I think it’s an interesting take on things. We are typically driven by, and pushed toward end results. Fitness goals, grades, money…you name it. Instead, this approach makes you focus on the process. That’s where all the change and learning is happening, after all, but we tend to look past it anxiously striving for the end.

I think this is great for creative endeavours, and I’m also hoping that I can apply this strategy in my summer job search. Maybe one day I’ll tweak my resumė, another day work on my personal branding on LinkedIn, the next day work on making a new connection or maintaining contact with an old one. Breaking it down into bite-sized chunks will create not only results, but meaning.

It might not be the most aggressive approach, but it does form a habit and means that constant, consistent improvements are being made. If you feel like you’re stuck and aren’t sure where to begin your job hunt, maybe this tactic will work for you!

What Do You Want To Be When You Grow Up?

By: Kristyn Mott, Peer Advisor

As a child you were always asked, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Well guess what? I am currently 20 years old and I am still asking myself the same question. But now instead of, “What do you want to be when you grow up?”, the question has changed to, “What do you want to be in a couple of years?”

I always thought that coming to university would provide an answer to that question, but unfortunately that is not always true. I have learned that university is a time to find yourself and explore many different career opportunities that interest you. Laurier is not just a place of education, it is a place of self-discovery and it offers many resources to help you find the perfect fit. A lot of those resources can be found at the Career Centre; they offer personality and interest assessments and many hard copy and online resources to assist with your career research.

Start your self-discovery now by booking an appointment with a Career Consultant at https://navigator.wlu.ca/home.htm Don’t worry if it takes you longer than you hope to find a certain career that you are completely committed to, everyone arrives at that decision at their own pace.