Career Blog
After finishing my first year of university, I wouldn’t have told anyone I was enjoying my time there. I didn’t love my classes too much, I wasn’t sure if my program was for me, and I didn’t know too many people. The idea of returning for my second year and to go through it all over again was a daunting prospect..
I had no idea how I could change my experience this time around to actually enjoy myself. At first, I considered changing my faculty. I had always enjoyed my Geography classes throughout high school, and I thought that maybe I should switch to a program in that field. I also considered changing cities and schools. I really love Montreal, and I thought that maybe I should pick up my life at one of its numerous universities. All of these ideas were scary to me though. I didn’t know if I would be able to go through with any of them, and if I did, I thought I might be just miserable in a new setting. I wanted to take a semester off to think about my future. My mom wouldn’t let me do this though, and I didn’t make any of the big changes I had envisioned. So I guess I would be returning to Telfer for my second year.
It was depressing to see summer ending, as I really did not want to return to school. I couldn’t imagine this year being any different from my first. However, I went every day, and for the first few months, it was the exact same as during my first year. I didn’t enjoy my studies at all. Eventually, I made a few new friends, and my relationships grew stronger with the ones I made in the first year. One of those friends asked me if I would like to join Enactus, as someone had recently left. I agreed because I felt like I needed something to put on my resumé. I knew CO-OP was right around the corner, but I had no volunteer experience prior to this. This experience changed everything.
Since the beginning of my first year, everyone has been telling me to ‘Get involved’. I never took that advice seriously. I thought all those clubs were pretentious and lame. I couldn’t imagine joining one. Also, as I barely had time to study, I didn’t think I could manage my time to participate in a club. I am so glad I did though. Since joining Enactus, I’ve met a hundred new people who are super cool, and I have had experiences that I will remember for the rest of my life. I continued to apply to more clubs at the end of my second year, and I am now an executive of MISA, a Career Centre Ambassador, as well as a member of Enactus. Although it is a lot to manage, I have a lot of fun, and it has transformed my university experience. I can see direct applications of my studies in these clubs and I’ve had countless amazing experiences because of them. I wish I hadn’t been so jaded at the beginning of my studies and took the advice that I heard countless times to ‘Get involved’. It’s an amazing feeling to be part of a team and it changed my outlook on university. I am now very happy in my studies, and I am so glad to have gotten involved. So to anyone reading this, for the love of God, get involved in something on campus. It’s an experience you won’t regret.
“Wow, you’re only in first year? It’s so great that you’re networking early on”, was the common response I got from recruiters when I mentioned I was a first-year Telfer student, attending Telfer Accounting Club’s wine and cheese in my first weeks of school.
I’ve done a lot of networking. When I was a first-year accounting student, I began attending networking events within my first few weeks of school during the height of Co-op recruiting season. I recall knowing no one, showing up alone and lost; however, being driven out of my comfort zone made me develop new skills and a boldness that is so important when attending networking events. Here are some of the pros to networking early on in your university career.
Understanding your program
When you attend networking events, you get to meet a myriad of people working in your field of study. You have a chance to talk to them about their work: what they enjoy, how the hours are, the various pros and cons of the job, and the expectations placed on an employee in that position. If you’re still unsure about your program or whether you’ll enjoy it, it’s a good place to hear first-hand what a position in your field will be like.
Gaining confidence
When I first started attending networking events in the first year, it was definitely nerve wracking. However, the more you practise the art of the casual slide-in to a group conversation or exiting a conversation tactfully when it’s been going on for too long, the better you get. As a third year attending networking events during Co-op recruiting season, even though it was arguably my most important recruiting season (for my first Co-op), I was never nervous attending the events. I had attended so many events beforehand that I was comfortable meeting new people and the recruiters. One thing that’s important to remember when you’re networking is that the people you’re talking to are just normal people, and were once students as well! Don’t be too intimidated and just be yourself.
Meeting new people
Evidently, the point of networking is to meet new people! When you go to networking events, you’ll most likely see the same students around. It can be a great opportunity to meet other people in your program.
Discovering what you like and what you don’t
After doing recruiting season again in the second year, I really got to know what various companies (especially in accounting) were like based on the people I met. I was able to be more informed and comfortable about my decision for whether to go with a big 4 firm or not when my actual third year Co-op recruiting season came around. Once I knew who I did (and who I didn’t) want to work for, I made myself known on multiple occasions to the people I really needed to meet to reach my goals, and made more purposeful relationships.
I hope all my points about networking early will encourage you to step out earlier on in your career to meet new people! Remember: practice makes perfect! It doesn’t have to be every event available to you, but even just one more event gives you that much more practice.
Good luck!
One of the main reasons I joined the Telfer Career Centre as an ambassador was because someone told me it would be a great way to learn how to network. The Centre allowed me to start networking in a pressure-free environment. As I started volunteering at networking events and information sessions held by various employers, I was able to practise networking easily. In many of these events, I had to communicate with our guest employers to ensure everything goes smoothly. The best part is that I was paired with another student, usually a volunteer. This proved to be especially important during my first few networking events. It made all the difference knowing that I had a partner there with me.
Getting involved with Telfer also let me see all the opportunities made available to students. I had a chance to meet the people involved in some of my favourite events. When I first heard that it was possible for clubs to prepare case competitions and to compete against other schools from other cities, I was astounded. In other clubs, volunteers are called upon to help organize events such as the CASCO annual gala, which showcases everybody’s hard work towards a great cause. These are only few of the many opportunities and experiences you have access to by getting involved with the Telfer Career Centre. Were it not for my work as an ambassador, I would never have heard or known about some of these events and the complexity of their planning.
Lastly, volunteering at the Telfer School is, in my opinion, one of the best ways to make friends. I often saw the same students in class, but I barely got to know any of them. Once I became an ambassador, I started to realize that many of my classmates were also volunteers! My work as a volunteer gave me a fantastic opportunity to become acquainted with a lot more people from my program and to build my network. This wouldn’t have been possible without the Career Centre!