Career Blog
“Mentorship is a two-way street — a relationship between humans — and not a transaction.”
(Fawal, 2018)
Behind every successful individual, there is a panoply of people, including mentors. Learning from a mentor is invaluable to a person’s success. Mentors can help us have an insight on what they do, but most importantly learn about the challenges that have shaped them.
Finding a mentor is great, but how to make the most out of your mentor is the biggest challenge. Having tasted both sides of the coin (being a mentee and a mentor), I’m sharing with you three lessons I’ve learned that will surely help you make the most of your mentor-mentee relationship as a mentee.
1. Take initiative
As a mentee, you have the responsibility to make the first move. You cannot reap if you don’t sow. Likewise, you cannot learn from your mentor if you do not ask or if you do not engage with him/her. Therefore, take initiative: invite your mentor for coffee, or ask if you can shadow him/her for the day. At the end of the day, the more you invest in building and maintaining the mentor-mentee relationship, the more you will benefit from it.
2. Set your expectations
As a mentee, you should set your expectations. If your objectives are not well defined, how can your mentor effectively help you reach your goals? Communicating your expectations will let he/she know what you want to get out of the relationship, and it will help him/her develop a strategy that is better focused on your needs. Ergo, concise and effective communication will enhance your professional ties.
3. Respect
Mentors go out of their way to support you in your endeavours: they put time aside from their busy schedule to answer any questions you may have, introduce you to new people, etc. Therefore, it is crucial that you value their time by showing up on time. Moreover, you should be respectful of their opinions and have an open-minded approach. Mentor-mentee relationships are about dialogue and sharing.
Being mentored is definitely a great way to help advance your career. As you set out for your summer co-op placement or summer job, if assigned a mentor, value this relationship, as you never where it can lead you to!
Ever wanted to get work experience in Finance and Accounting? Are you looking to represent Canada internationally? As one of the largest employers in the National Capital Region, the Government of Canada has thousands of student positions available in over 150 departments and agencies. And getting access to these positions is super easy through the Federal Student Work Experience Program (FSWEP).
What is FSWEP?
FSWEP is a hiring mechanism for federal departments and agencies that offer students entry-level jobs in hundreds of career paths available across the country. This program has been designed to give students valuable and meaningful work experiences in a vast array of fields ranging from Administration to Zamboni operating! Most opportunities include a full-time summer enrollment that can often be extended for students who want to work part-time during the school year. This provides you with a steady source of income that acknowledges the workload you face while balancing school and work.
What you get from it
Personally, I was fortunate enough to start working for a relatively new department three years ago. I was recruited as a student administrative assistant for the Office of the President and COO at Shared Services Canada (SSC). In this role, I greeted visitors to the office, prepared meeting materials for the President and the COO of SSC, and so much more. Through my work, I was able to demonstrate my skills and was referred to the Financial Management Advisory Services, where I will be starting the Financial Officer Recruitment and Development (FORD) program in June to get my CPA.
Where it could lead you
I would highly recommend you apply to the inventory so that your resume is sent to managers looking to hire students across Canada (depending on your preferred locations). There are some pretty cool opportunities out there, including the Student Guide Program in France (with Veterans Affairs Canada) or the student policy analyst positions, which will allow you to shape future legislation affecting Canadians. Working in the public service is truly a rewarding career, as you know that any contribution you make is helping to make Canada a better place.
If you’re interested in trying out what the federal government has to offer, you can find more information about the FSWEP program as well as apply for the various job inventories here:
It’s never too early to start planning for your career! Whether you’re in your first term of university or your last, it’s important to start thinking about what you’re going to do once you graduate.
Career planning involves identifying where you want to go and how you’re going to get there. It’s about weighing your skills, interests and values in relation to the different job opportunities out there. It is one of the most crucial — yet most often overlooked — steps before graduating. Career planning will allow you to set clear goals and be on track for success!
Now that you understand how important it is to start planning for your career, where do you start? Well, below are some tips to help you!
Understand what you like and dislike: It’s important first to understand and reflect on what you like and don’t like to do. Moreover, make a list of what’s important to you in a career. This will help you understand what type of career you would like to pursue.
Explore options: Now, after considering your likes and dislike, explore different options that may suit you. You can do this by reaching out to professionals, either in networking events or through LinkedIn. Do your research!
Make career goals: Once you’ve done your research, the next step should be to start setting goals. Set both short-term and long-term goals. Write these goals down and maybe even share them with a friend. Hold yourself accountable for them!
Look for learning/training opportunities: After you have made these goals, research the steps that you need to take to achieve them. Usually, this would involve developing certain skills. Consider the skills you already have, as well as the skills you would like to gain or develop. Now, look for learning and training opportunities. These opportunities could come from workshops, online courses or professional development activities.
Career Centre: The Career Centre has many resources that can help you plan your career. These resources include workshops, resumé critiques, career testing and more. They are easily available to you, so take advantage of them!