Campus Life & Future Careers

Hello!

I’m an avid reader, and love recommending and writing on books that have moved or aided me as I go forward getting jobs (not getting jobs), studying and figuring out life here in Montreal.

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There’s only a month left of school, and my summer job search continues. I’d been hoping that I would have planned something out for the summer by now, but unfortunately, that is not the case. For the past few months,
I’ve been searching and applying for various jobs. I’m going home for the summer, so my job search vicinity is mainly for jobs in my hometown, which narrows down the possibilities a lot.

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Looking for a job? During the last couple of years, on more than one occasion, my classmates mentioned to me their difficulty finding a job upon graduation. A good friend of mine actually just graduated with a B.A. in Sociology from Concordia and has been searching for a job for a year now, and has come up dry. Is the job market shrinking or are we not looking in the right places? Students come out of university packed with newfound knowledge, ready to take on the world, but have been coming up empty handed. Before we even start looking for work…or dare I say our dream job, it is important that our focus is properly directed. I have listed three factors that are very important when it comes to eventually landing the job of our dreams:

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As the new semester starts more and more internships positions becomes available… But after spending from 1 hour to a couple of hours applying, the wait begins! And if you’re lucky enough you will get called for THE interview.

So here are 3 helpful tips to prep and prepare yourself for an interview:   (more…)

The month of January has so many implications…it’s the start to a brand new year, it’s when we set our new resolutions and point out things we’d like to change and it is also the month when many programs have deadlines for applying to grad school.

When it came time for me to apply to grad school, I was quite intimidated…I didn’t have an extraordinary GPA (it was quite average), I didn’t remain on great terms with my professors (really, who does…they’re our teachers, not our friends) and I was uncertain of the competition that stood ahead of me. Nevertheless, I got the courage to begin writing my statement of purpose. As I went through the information regarding the application process, I realized that this information would have been a lot more useful had it found its way to me during my undergraduate.  So, if you are pursuing your undergraduate right now, hopefully these tips will be of assistance for you!

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With final exams rolling around the corner, this is about the time when students begin panicking. Without the slightest bit of hesitation, they initiate their ritual late-night cram-sessions and caffeine binges in order to catch up on their schoolwork. This is the time when students tend to revisit or even relearn concepts they should have mastered by now. I am all too familiar with this process; after all, I am a teacher…and yes, we can tell.

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A What? A SWOT, more typically known as:

S: Strengths

W: Weaknesses

O: Opportunities

T: Threats

Yes, although it might resemble the typical primary school Mother’s day card framework (M is for Mother, O is for … etc.) it is very different! A SWOT analysis might be the answer you’ve been looking for during your ups and downs during the ever-changing and often stressful school year. As students and employees, we all require tools in order to do our jobs efficiently. A SWOT Analysis is a great tool…and the best part is, all you need is a little of your time to invest. Not only is it a great tool, but it is also an extremely useful technique and method for students and workers to understand our strengths and weaknesses on a more profound level, to properly target the opportunities that may open up to us and to combat the threats that may be obstructing our path to success.

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October…the time we begin to bundle up and slowly make our way into hibernation mode due to our hectic schedules, demands, deadlines and of course, midterms! This is the time of month when studying and preparation take precedence over enjoying the last few rays of sunshine that peek through the autumn sky. October is a month of anticipation, a month of thanks and of freight…filled with many upcoming career-related events. Other than Thanksgiving and Halloween, another important event to incorporate ourselves into this month would be to participate all the career opportunities that surround us.

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Content is key – as online gurus would say. And let me tell you, they would be absolutely right!

The objective is to tell a potential employer more about you. Your e-resume needs to reflect how you process your area of expertise in your head, and how you can express it into words. For some candidates it is quiet of difficult to get to this point, but for others it’s just a matter of finding keywords to get a better position in the organic search.

You do not need to be a techy guy (or gal!), you only need clear, targeted words.

First, your professional image needs to be reflected in your pages layout. You can play a bit with creativity and intelligence. This is entirely up to you.

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The number of hiring managers who use search engines to find the most qualified people in the market place have increased exponentially.  

As mentioned before, Internet is the fastest way to find the right candidate for the right position without having to deal with opening or closing hours or even location. Head hunters use the Internet just like you would: with keywords. These are based on work experience, schools, skills and also your social life.

If you really want to be found, you need to broadcast your resume like any other organization would advertise its product to get customers: via your own website.

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