Do you know what you’re going to do with your major? What industries interest you? Do you have enough experience to land your ideal job? These are just some of the questions your campus Career Centre can help you answer. 

One of the most important ways students can find out what a job is really like is by connecting with people who are already doing it. Career Centres organize events that help students do this: job fairs.

“Job fairs are a great way to establish connections and networking is extremely important. About 80 per cent of the jobs students find are through connections,” says Anne Soucy, manager of the student employment services at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton. “Employers remember the students they meet at fairs so it’s a good idea to go often. I’ve even heard of recruiters sending Christmas and birthday cards and ultimately offering to recruit students once they finish school.”

The great thing about doing an internship is that you’re not only gaining experience and making contacts,but you’re also verifying that you’re getting into the right field. And many Career Centres are the first to know when intern positions become available.

Mark Gamble, 24, was working part-time at his campus Career Centre when he found out about an internship overseas. “There was a fax that came through and it described exactly what I wanted in terms of learning overseas,”says Gamble. He ended up taking the internship in Thailand one month after he graduated from UNB with a Bachelors of business administration in marketing. He worked at the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) as the assistant to the managing director. One of responsibilities was to coordinate networking and training events for Thai businesses. “Working there was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Gamble says. 

But before all of that good stuff, it’s important to learn how to stand out through your cover letter and résumé. Many Centres offer workshops or one-on-one counseling that can help you do exactly that.

Jennifer Watson, 23, also a UNB grad, had already typed up her résumé but wanted to get some feedback on it,so she approached her Centre. “Their feedback gave me confidence,” says Watson. She ended up improving her résumé, as well as attending several workshops offered by her Career Centre, including one that taught her how to job search.

Career centres can also help prepare you for interviews. Most offer a variety of workshops on how to dress, act and respond to questions. Simon Fraser University (SFU) in British Columbia also gives students the chance to role-play mock interviews. Students can even record their interviews in order to perfect their presentations and get feedback.

Penny Freno,a career account manager at SFU, says the mock interviews have proven popular with students. “Two years ago I had a new grad student who wanted to be a teacher. She had the skill set and the credentials but she wasn’t getting any offers, so we conducted a mock interview and offered some feedback,” Freno says. “After the interview she began getting some offers. Then one day she told me she’d gotten a job. She was so excited she was screaming. It really made me feel good that I could help her.” jp