Career Blog
Preparing for an interview can be a stressful process. If you do, do it right: it could make a huge difference in your performance. Here are a few tips that could help you to ace your next interview.
Anticipate the questions
Go over the job posting word by word and highlight the keywords. Find out the key skills the employer is looking for, then list out your qualities that fit the interviewers’ expectations. Try to integrate these qualities in your answers. Start with the generic, ubiquitous questions such as “Tell me about yourself” and “What skills and abilities do you bring to this job?” Then move on to more specific questions related to the employer and/or the position.
Show enthusiasm
This means much more than simply smiling at the interviewers. It is also important to research the organization’s background, culture, and recent initiatives (creep their media page). Make sure to read their vision and mission statements as well as their career page. Find out some points that interest you and make sure to bring them up at the interview.
Prepare your own questions
Interviews are not only meant for interviewers to ask you questions and find out if you are the right candidate. They are also an opportunity for you to determine if the position in question is the right opportunity for you and if the organization is a good fit for you as a candidate. Asking the right questions is also a great way to demonstrate your knowledge of, and interest in, the field. Make sure to ask 2 or 3 thoughtful questions at the end of your interviews and use this opportunity to learn more about the organization’s culture, expectations, and development plans.
Want to receive expert advice on you to prepare for job interviews? Book an appointment on Interview Preparation and Techniques with the Career Centre Professional Development Coordinator through Career Launch.
We often neglect our personal growth for the benefit of our career development. However, what many of us don’t realize is that personal growth is actually a key ingredient in reaching important professional milestones. Here are three personal growth tips that will also boost your career development.
Tip no 1: find your interests
It’s not always easy to identify one’s centres of interest, whether it is due to a lack of self-knowledge, a reluctance to change or the mind-boggling number of possibilities, which is in fact a blessing. Fortunately, the Telfer Career Centre offers an array of activities that allow students to pinpoint their interests and preferences. Moreover, these activities count towards the Career Development Certificate.
Tip no 2: focus on continuous learning
A Bachelor’s Degree. An MBA. A Ph.D. Society tends to judge us based on our level of education. However, to evolve as a professional and develop a better “sense of self”, it is imperative to learn beyond the classroom. Striving for excellence, challenging oneself and learning new things ─ even if they have no obvious professional utility ─ is essential. Also, to broaden your horizons and enrich your intellectual capital, why not take elective courses from other faculties? It will sharpen your judgment and help you make better decisions in your projects as well as in your career path.
Tip no 3: give back to your community
What better way to grow personally and professionally than to volunteer? In addition, community involvement is very well perceived by employers, as it allows candidates to know themselves better, gain skills and expand their network. The University of Ottawa also provides students with numerous ways to get involved in their community. As a Telfer Career Centre ambassador, I’m part of a team of volunteers who actively engage with Telfer students 3 to 4 hours a week. This experience has allowed me to know more about my preferences and career goals.
There are numerous ways to develop a strong professional sense of self, and the Telfer Career Centre offers you a wide variety of activities to help you in this field.
Check out the Calendar of Events on Career Launch, and don’t hesitate to sign up!
So, you’ve been applying to numerous jobs, all of which you truly believe you are qualified for. Then why haven’t you been getting any positive feedback from employers? Chances are your resumé needs an upgrade! Here are a few simple ways to make sure your resumé impresses employers.
Spice it up!
Employers often receive hundreds of resumés for one single job posting. As you can imagine, going through them can get boring. By adding some colour to your resumé and choosing a simple, yet professional-looking design, you will stand out from your competitors. Nothing too crazy, as fancy formatting can get in the way of applicant tracking systems (ATS). You’re simply adding a dash of your personality into your resumé. If you need a good resumé template that will work with ATS and wow recruiters, check out the various resumé templates offered on the Telfer Career Centre website.
Add variety
Another great way to upgrade your resumé is to add athletic, extracurricular and volunteer activities that show employers you are a well-rounded person. Were you an assistant coach on a sports team? A Telfer club executive? A fundraiser for a non-profit organization? These activities are all worth mentioning on your resumé, especially if you did them for a long period of time. They allow employers to get a glimpse of your loyalty, determination, and work ethic. Not sure how to present them on your resumé? Book an appointment for a resumé critique with the Professional Development Coordinator at the Telfer Career Centre through Career Launch!
Keep it up to date
If you truly want to update your resumé, make sure it stays up to date: nobody wants to know about the science project that got you first place in back in 9th grade (although, it is indeed a great achievement, good job!) You can only go back so far on your resumé and so by making sure everything included is relevant and worth mentioning, it will definitely help narrow things down for you.
Keep it concise
Although we would all like to display the many great things that we have accomplished over the years on our resumé, we need to make sure not to go overboard. It has been found that employers only spend six to seven seconds reviewing a resumé. Hence the importance of a short and concise resumé! To receive the best tips on how to make your resumé as impactful as possible, book an appointment for a resumé critique with the Career Counsellor at the Telfer Career Centre through Career Launch!
Good luck, and if you ever need anything at all,
the Telfer Career Centre is always here to help!
Sources
What is Indeed?
How Long Do Hiring Managers Look at a Resumé?
Imagine your career development as a construction project. Before you start building, you need to know the result you seek. Is it a skyscraper? A house? An apartment? In order to reach your final decision, you have to assess your end goal, determine if you have the right tools, and list all the needed adjustments. The same idea applies to career development. Here are three steps that further explain how self-assessment contributes to your career development.
Step 1: laying the foundation
So, what is your dream job? The answer to this question is what I consider the start of one’s career development, as it helps you identify your interests. For example, when a child decides to become an astronaut, it is often after discovering a strong interest in space exploration. By identifying your interests, you are establishing a great foundation for your career development.
Meet with a pro: Book a self-assessment and career testing appointment with the Telfer Career Centre Career Counsellor through Career Launch to receive expert advice and tools on self-assessment.
Step 2: taking in the inventory
Once you have identified the career you want to build, the second step is to determine the skills you need to get there. This means taking stock of the ones you already have, and identifying the ones that should be further developed. If your career is a construction project, your skills are the tools, equipment, and materials you will use to build the end product.
Step 3: Bracing oneself for the journey
Great builders always meet challenging situations. As you take on the journey, know that there will be ups and downs. Self-assessment will indeed shed light on your strengths and weaknesses. But knowledge is power. As a third step, use your strengths as deciding factors for work and look for ways to turn your weaknesses into strengths. Having the right mindset will help you anticipate and overcome potential difficulties.
Meet with a pro: Book a resumé critique with the Telfer Career Centre Professional Development Coordinator through Career Launch to learn how to best highlight your strengths on your self-marketing tools.
Did you know? The Telfer Career Centre presents a workshop called “Who am I: Self-assessment and Career Testing.” This workshop is one of the 10 activities that make up the Career Development Certificate. Check out the Calendar of Events on Career Launch, and see the Mentorship and Development Programs tab for more information about the certificate.
Start your career development journey now with an improved sense of self and take advantage of the many resources the Telfer Career Centre has to offer.
Whether in your academic or professional life, reflecting on your progress can be key in making your aspirations come true. Reflecting can mean many things and is unique to each individual but setting new objectives can be extremely effective. Exploring various avenues of reflection will help you determine which method works best for you.
The ways to reflect
- On paper
Write down your objectives and revisit them from time to time to assess your progress. For example, when starting a summer job or an internship, create a list of things you would like to accomplish. At the end of the term, taking stock will be much easier.
- Digitally
There is no shortage of online resources that can help you set goals and monitor your progress. Websites like Goalscape can help you visualize and set goals; you can also use it on a mobile app.
The importance of reflecting
- Purpose
Reflecting on your progress gives you a sense of purpose, especially once your goal is achieved, as this leads in turn to happiness and productivity.
- Improvement
Learning from an unachieved goal means identifying the gap between where you are and where you want to be. It gives you an idea of what you need to do to improve in the future.
- Effectiveness
Taking the time out of your schedule to set objectives can be extremely beneficial in the long run, as it will allow you to better plan your tasks and find the best and most effective ways to complete them.
Goal setting is one of the many ways that can help you reflect on your progress in your professional and personal life. This reflection exercise in turn can help you achieve success and a richer sense of fulfillment and purpose.
Reading week is soon approaching, and you probably have one thing on your mind: getting away from school. A lot of us usually spend most of our reading week taking a huge pause. However, that is not mandatory! Reading week can absolutely be a productive time for your professional and personal life! So here are some tips to help you have a successful reading week.
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Make a realistic list of the assignments you need to complete
Before reading week starts, make a list of assignments to finish, chapters to read, or notes to complete. Make sure to write it down where you will constantly see it. The key word here is realistic. We’ve all been there: before the week starts, we promise ourselves that we’re going to accomplish this long list of countless assignments and during the week, we end up completely disregarding the list. For that reason, be realistic with yourself. Give yourself a few tasks that you know you can accomplish easily. A productive reading week does not necessarily mean getting the most things done, but getting some key assignments done.
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Finish your school-related stuff first
The best way to have a successful reading week is to prioritize. A good technique is to finish any school‑related task during the first couple days so that you can move on. That way, you’ll be able to relax for the rest of the week without having all the things you “still need to do” lingering in the back of your mind. Plus, it’s never a good plan to leave everything to the Sunday night before school starts. You’re going to hate it at first but trust me: once everything is FINALLY out of the way, you’ll be thanking yourself for prioritizing.
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Use this time for focus on career goals
Reading week is often seen as a time to either catch up on studying or go on vacation. However, you can also use this time to work on any career-related goal you would otherwise put aside because of school. Here are some suggestions:
- Create or update your LinkedIn profile.
- Update your resume and print out some copies.
- Join a Telfer club.
- Attend a networking event.
- Apply for some internships for the next semester or the summer.
- Browse the Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP) for job opportunities.
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Try to stick to a routine
As we’ve all been staying at home due to the confinement, we all know how easy it is to lose track of time. You start waking up around noon, watch some YouTube, and before you know, it’s 5 p.m. and you feel like you just lost a whole day. This usually happens when you go on any extended break, like reading week. You start to lose valuable time you could be using to be productive in some way. The solution is to set a daily routine for yourself! Start by setting an alarm for yourself every day to wake up at a reasonable time (give yourself some room to sleep in!) Also, try to get yourself ready for the day, even if you may not be going out that day, as this can make you feel like you must do something productive. Lastly, set a rough schedule for yourself, even if it’s only for random activities. For example, you could plan to exercise in the morning and to go out with friends in the evening. This leaves the afternoon flexible for whatever you need to do, like school-related activities.
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Treat yourself
It seems like a cliché, but it is nevertheless true: have some “treat yourself” moments! Whether it’s going out to eat, getting your nails done, or giving yourself a lazy “Netflix and Chill” day, do it! You’ve worked hard all term and deserve some rest. Make sure to include in your schedule fun things you love.
J.K. Rowling was rejected 12 times before she got published. Today, her net worth from the Harry Potter series exceeds $1 billion. Most people often face a great deal of rejection before they succeed. However, overcoming the fear of rejection will open up many opportunities both in your career and personal life.
Here are 3 ways to overcome the fear of rejection:
1. Seek out rejection
Inspired by the TED Talk What I learned from 100 days of rejection, by Jia Jiang, this first tip will help you desensitize yourself to the pain of rejection. In his experiment, Jia sought rejection for 100 days through absurd requests. These included asking to borrow $100 from a stranger and requesting a “burger refill” from a fast-food place. He got rejected almost every time.
By building this kind of resilience, you will discover that rejection is not a big deal. It will seem difficult at first, but eventually the negative emotions will begin to fade away. Rather than reacting with fear to any situation that involves a potential rejection, your mind will react positively.
2. Perform a cost-benefit analysis
Weigh the costs of getting rejected against the benefits of succeeding. How? Well, imagine you want to ask a manager for a coffee chat. If you get rejected, you might feel disheartened and discouraged. However, if the manager agrees, then you might build a valuable connection which could lead in turn to a potential job opportunity at your dream company. This cost-benefit analysis is extremely valuable for overcoming the fear of rejection.
J.K. Rowling allegedly said, “I had nothing to lose, and sometimes that makes you brave enough to try.” Had she not weighed the costs and benefits of trying to get published, she would not have had her best‑seller novels. Thinking in this way will help you realize that the fear of rejection is not worth giving up on your potential future opportunities.
3. Think about your past
Remember situations where you got rejected, but ultimately, it was for the best. I have experienced these many times throughout my life. I have been rejected more times than I can count, and I’m not afraid to admit it. Every time I got rejected, an even better opportunity arose. Although I was sad and upset at first, I understood later that it was a blessing in disguise.
Career paths are often not a straight path to success. Overcoming the fear of rejection is incredibly important as it will open up many opportunities for you throughout your career and personal life. Challenge yourself to get rejected today!
Whether you’re just getting started in the field of HR or wanting to take charge in your new role, you may be asking yourself this question: how to navigate the world of HR? If you want answers or maybe some motivation to start your day, here are five resources that will enrich your knowledge.
1. What it Takes to Be Successful in The New World of Work?
James Fulton, Chief Learning Officer at Goldman Sachs, dives into the new world troubles of HR. He states that “There has been a shift in HR; executives have realized that diversity and agility have become front-row players in the workplace.” As 2020 comes to an end, executives say goodbye to the old, separated workplace culture and hello to small group focus sessions where employees not only connect as teams but on a personal basis.
2. Burnout to Breakthrough
“Burnout is the true occupational hazard”, claims Eileen McDargh, Chief Energy Officer at The Resilience Group. She highlights that wise leaders must now ask themselves: “What value is the work we give bringing to our employees and our business?” Leaders and employees must begin to rethink business processes to make them more effective.
3. Goal Setting and Performance Management
Robert St-Jaques, Director of Customer Success at 7Geese, focuses on HR transformations. He has been changing the traditional system of yearly goal setting and employee feedback. Companies must start breaking down objective timelines and feedback into pieces. Employees want achievable expectations. With timely feedback and shorter objectives or goals, it is easier to catch up or if they are ahead they can start on the next pieces of the big puzzle, measuring what matters.
4. Experience Rise Above 2020
Samuel Isaac, Head of global marketing and strategy at Neeyamo, touches on the uncertainty of how long COVID-19 will continue to affect HR Management, how can forward-looking organizations tackle these new challenges? Organizations must continue to retain customer centricity through device programs, change management, communication, and stop being afraid to change commercial operating models. He states there must be agility in being able to adapt and change, just as fast as the world around us changes.
5. Re-Skilling the Workforce and Community Building
Robotizing the workforce? Enrique Rubio, Founder and CEO of Hacking HR, touches on how to combat the looming threat of tech advancements and talks about creating a blend of quantitative and qualitative skills. The way to remain relevant does not only rely on better understanding technology but understanding how to be better humans through empathy, cultural understanding, and collaboration.
With many uncertainties ahead, it can be clear that HR Management will be met with some challenges. I hope that you have been inspired to be a part of the new generation of successful HR Management.
HRchat Podcasts - https://open.spotify.com/show/1Swgoe9gy5b9ftJd1obBZa?si=0CL41LowS5WHfBBrmJUJgQ
HR Leaders Podcasts - https://open.spotify.com/show/2W0e5BGna5KHJUTrITcs3o?si=ikUFkpVSTg6JCBhbY2i2qg
The Career Centre provides many opportunities for students to learn and develop the necessary skills to be successful graduates. The Career Development Certificate (CDC) is designed for students to gain tangible skills that will set you apart from others candidates during your career planning process.
Completing the Career Development Certificate involves attending 10 Career Centre activities: 8 mandatory and 2 optional. The full list of activities included in this initiative can be found on the Career Centre website.
One of the mandatory activities is attending one of the two Career Centre’s annual networking events: Telfer Connects or Telfer Networks. Telfer Connects occurs in September and intended for 3rd‑ and 4th‑year students only. Telfer Networks is open to all Telfer undergraduate students and runs in January. Both events are a great opportunity to network with potential employers and build those professional connections! The workshops required for the CDC are: Who am I: Self-Assessment and Career Testing, Jump Start Your Job Search, Rock your Resume, Ace Your Interview, and Network Like a Pro. Additionally, one needs to book an individual resumé critique and a practice interview with the Career Counsellor or the Professional Development Coordinator. Having your resumé looked over and conducting a mock interview will allow you to feel more comfortable and confident in interviews with employers.
There is a wide range of optional activities that you may choose from to fulfill the requirements. If you are looking for a more casual, smaller group environment, the “Let’s Talk” Series is a good option. You could also book an individual appointment with a Career Counselor to discuss goal setting, job search strategies, industry information, etc. The different Mentorship and Development Programs, including the Professional of Management Consulting Program, the Capital Markets Program, and the Connexions Program can also count towards the CDC.
With the new Career Launch portal, your progress will be automatically tracked and you can see which activities you have left to complete the certificate. Every March participants are invited to attend the Career Centre Celebration to acknowledge those who have completed the initiative and receive an official certificate of completion.
Having completed the Career Development Certificate myself, I can definitely attest to how it has helped me both personally and professionally. Employers are impressed when students attend numerous workshops outside the classroom to continuously learn and improve transferrable skills that are valuable in the workforce. I’m glad I was able to experience this opportunity and hope you consider receiving your Career Development Certificate!
Planning is an integral process that applies to various disciplines in life. Artists will envision their paintings before creating their final masterpiece. Athletes will plan their workout routine and diet to reach their fitness goal. If something is important to you, then sufficient time will be spent in planning the process before setting out to achieve it. So, when it comes to your career, no less effort should be devoted to planning how to reach your future aspirations.
Here are six steps to creating a career-focused action plan:
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Determine your career vision
If there is no target in front of you, any attempt to throw a dart will be both meaningless and pointless. Similarly, without a precise vision in mind, you will quickly lose the motivation and purpose in the proceeding steps. For that reason, it is important to take the time to set up a career vision. The more defined your vision is, the more tangible your target becomes in your mind.
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Set SMART Goals
“Setting goals is the first step
in turning the invisible into the visible.” – Tony Robbins.
This is one of the crucial steps in your action plan. Setting precise goals for the short and long term will allow you to allocate your efforts and time appropriately. It will also help you stay focused and allow you to measure how far you are from achieving your vision. There are many goal-setting models available; perhaps the most effective and commonly used is the SMART model.
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Gather information on different requirements and resources available to reach your goal
Once you have set goals in place, the next step is figuring out the requirements and the resources available. In addition to researching, networking can provide you with a lot of industry and professional information related to your field. For that reason, you should leverage networking platforms such as LinkedIn and keep a watch out for different networking events hosted on the Calendar of Events in Career Launch and the Telfer clubs social media pages.
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List the tasks to be performed
Now that you can see the target, know the distance to your target and have gathered some insights on different throwing techniques – it’s time to take a shot. Based on the information gathered in the previous step, list the action items that are required to attain your goals and highlight the resources available for each task. As one of your tasks, register for workshops offered by the Career Centre that focus on career management skills such as resume writing and acing your interviews. Some of these activities can also count towards your Career Development Certificate.
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Track your progress
One of the main features of an action plan is that it allows you to measure your progress. Have something on hand like a visual template that can help you track your progress for each goal and remind you of the next action step. Here is a sample to get you started.
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Reflect and Reassess
People and companies continuously adjust and refine their plans to adapt to their situation, which makes planning a dynamic process. Job requirements, qualifications and processes are changing to satisfy the market’s needs. Therefore, take some time to reflect on the relevance of your goals and tasks, modifying them when necessary.
As we start this academic year, I invite you to take some time to create a career action plan if you don’t have one already. Be sure to make the best use of the resources available to you, especially the services offered by the Career Centre.
Resources
Developing a personal action plan
Goal setting