Career Snapshot - Kateryna Pashkovska - Career Mentoring Program

This week we followed up with Kateryna Pashkovska who just completed the Career Mentoring Program, to get her reflections on the program.

Now that the Career mentoring program has come to an end, it is good to reflect on my experience and what I can take with me for the next year – my last year of studies – before I embark on the search for a full-time job, for the first time in my life.  

The first thing that comes to mind, the one that has made my experience so rich and insightful, is the right match. Back in Fall 2015 when the Career Center was launching the program and working on the selection of participants, I was impressed with deep and meticulous in-person interviewing by Amy Roy Gratton and Jasmine (last name??). They did their very best to pull out my true career inclinations and abilities in the given point of time to find a perfect match for me. And they did!

I am a pair-person. I am most efficient and happy while working with a partner/ supervisor/ mentor first and then expanding the circle of people I am working with on a particular task. So in this sense, my close cooperation (and I would be honored to call it friendship) with Heather Wheeliker from the City of Edmonton worked perfect for me. 

Another important factor that made it work was our frequent meetings in downtown, most often over coffee in the morning. I remember heading to our sessions with a thrill and all agog to have another inspiring friendly conversation or an activity that we have been going over. Heather introduced me to her colleagues who in turn, threw new exciting opportunities at me. For example, I learned about the Planning Academy (a series of one-two day courses designed to provide a better understanding of the planning and development processes in Edmonton). We both had a busy summer and agreed to finish some of the activities after the program is over, like a mock interview. So, the end of the program does not mean the end of the relationship, and to my mind, this is the true indicator of our success.


In short, I highly encourage students to participate in the Career mentoring program. Its benefits – thanks to high proficiency of its organizers! – along with your own hard work, will definitely boost your confidence. It will also help you think in small but effective steps when you are ready to show up at the job market or to change your current career path.  

    

Career Snapshots - Job Shadow Week - Shedding light on the benefits of hosting more than one job shadow participant

Jane Alm (centre) is a Senior Investment Advisor with National Bank Financial in Edmonton and a first time job shadow host with U of A Job Shadow Week. We asked Jane about her experience hosting two job shadow participants on the same day, at the same time.

Jing Meng (left) is a MBA student majoring in Finance with a background in mathematics, accounting and price analysis. This was her first time job shadowing.

Stephanie Qin (right) is an international student majoring in Finance with a minor in Management Information Systems. She is a senior peer at the International Centre and first-time job shadow participant.

From our e-interview with Jane Alm:

What is your role at Angus Watt Advisory Group?

In my role I build relationships with clients to get an understanding of their needs and changes to those needs. I lend my knowledge of options strategies, wealth management, retirement planning and asset allocation, and offer experience that ensures my clients are comfortable with their investments and decisions so that they understand how their needs/goals will impact them, their family, their retirement expectations, etc.

What made hosting two job shadow participants at the same time a unique for both you and the participants?

The two participants seemed to feed off each other with both questions and answers. It helped them to be more comfortable and more open.

How do you think the participants benefited from sharing you as a job shadow host?

All the members of our team participated throughout the day so the participants had access to a diverse group of individuals in various roles.

What did you gain as a professional from hosting your job shadow participants?

We gained greater knowledge into their perspectives and insight into their thought process as well as their perceptions about our industry.

What advice would you give to other hosts on how to manage two job shadow participants?

Preparing for two job shadowers at the same time is no different than preparing for one participant; in fact, it is likely easier because they ask more questions which requires less 

probing as they were more forthcoming.

From our e-interview with Stephanie Qin and Jing Meng:

What made sharing a job shadow host with another student a unique experience for you?

Stephanie: Sharing the job shadow actually created a supportive and flexible environment. We both came up with different questions to ask and it gave me a chance to hear things I never thought about before. 

Jing:  It was interesting to meet a fellow student with the same career interest to job shadow with.

How do you think you benefited from sharing a job shadow host?

Stephanie: It is always great to meet new people both from school and diverse industry professionals. After the job shadow we shared our experience with one another, our perceptions and ideas.

Jing: I gained a new perspective from Stephanie and it made the experience that much better when we were able to share each other’s point of view.

What advice would you give to other students about sharing a job shadow experience?

Stephanie: Be sure to prepare questions ahead of time. The job shadow host might introduce you to all of the other team members so it is very important for participants to do some research online beforehand on LinkedIn or on the organization’s website. This way you can have better conversations because you have a starting point or topics to ask about. 

Career Snapshot - Chris Bacivan - Job Shadow Week Participant

Career Snapshot - Chris Bacivan - Job Shadow Week Participant 

We caught up with Chris Bacivan, an Alumni of the UofA who completed his undergrad in 2014 with a B.Sc in Chemical Engineering. For the past two years Chris has been working at Deloitte LLP as a Reservoir Engineer where he focused on oil and gas reserve estimation, statistical resource studies, economic evaluations, and energy advisory services.  

Why did you choose to participate in Job Shadow Week?

I chose to participate in Job Shadow Week to gain insight on career paths for engineers, gain exposure to the realities of the workplace, and develop my network of industry professionals. 

Who did you shadow? What did you do?

I narrowed the list of 205 hosts down to a single company, C-FER Technologies.  C-FER was the best match for my education, career path, interests, and curiosity. The company helps clients by de-risking new technologies using testing, analysis, and applied R&D. C-FER’s world-class testing facility, which I got to visit, pushes vendor products like pumps, pipes, valves, and fittings, to their limits. I shadowed Brian Wagg, the Director of Business Development and Planning at C-FER Technologies. We spent the afternoon together discussing our career paths, work experiences, and the industry. Brian did a really great job of explaining C-FERs business model. He also shared with me some great advice and even put me in touch with a contact so that I can expand my industry network. We took a break from the meeting room and toured the office. Brian showed me the large-scale testing facility which was made up of hydraulic machines, thick concrete walls, and heavy equipment scattered in various corners of the massive industrial shop. 

Who would benefit from the Job Shadow program? And why?

I highly recommend the UofA Job Shadow Week to students and alumni. I personally wish I had this program during my undergrad because it would have helped me understand what options I have after graduation. It’s not a big time commitment and the Career Centre does so much work to ensure students get a wide range of hosts that are qualified, professional and ready to mentor. Who you would like to shadow were you to participate in the program again? If I were to participate in this program again I would like to shadow an investment banker, equity analyst/associate, or portfolio manager. 

Career Snapshot - Ben Throndson - Job Shadow Week Participant

Career Snapshot - Ben Throndson - Job Shadow Week Participant 

This week we caught up with Ben Throndson a third year Political Science major and Sociology minor. When not studying, he serves as the VP Communications for the Political Science Undergraduate Association and as a Councillor on the SU’s Students’ Council, representing Arts students’ interests.

What was one of the best pieces of advice that you received throughout your degree? Did this advice have a lasting impact on your career path? 

One of the pieces of advice that I remember most clearly from Orientation was the suggestion to be active outside of classes on campus. As a first year, I was nervous enough just being in a new environment that “getting involved” did not particularly appeal to me. While I eventually became comfortable enough to step out of my comfort zone, it wasn’t until recently - during the second half of my third year - that I have had a chance to stop and take stock of all the advantages associated one gains from participation in extracurricular activities. In hindsight, I can confidently say that extracurricular involvement is one of the best ways to make the most of one’s time as a U of A Arts student. 

Through my involvement with the Political Science Undergraduate Association and the Students’ Union, I’ve had the chance to make many new friends, apply what I’ve learned in class, and developed skills that will serve me throughout the rest of my life. Additionally, I’ve had the opportunity to learn more about the legislative process - an interest which I hope to pursue throughout my professional career.

Serving as VP Communications of the PSUA has been a really enjoyable experience. Not only have I learned a lot from my fellow Executive team members, I have had the chance to help build a stronger and more cohesive Political Science department. It’s great to be a part of such an exciting, fascinating, and friendly community, and I’d wager that similar opportunities for personal development and growth can be found within many other student groups at the U of A. Find one that interests you, and get in touch with them!

Another fantastic way to get involved on campus is to run for election to a representative position. I am very thankful for my friends who encouraged and helped me to run for Students’ Council, as representing students has turned out to be a really rewarding challenge. While it is nerve-wracking to let one’s name stand for election, the opportunities that serving in this position has provided in terms of meeting new people, learning more about University governance, and advancing change make the entire experience worthwhile. Please get in touch with me at bthronds@ualberta.ca if you are interested in running for Students’ Council or any other representative position on campus, and I’ll do my best to provide helpful advice!

What is a career challenge that awaits you after graduation? 

Moving forward, the next challenge that awaits me is making the transition from undergraduate studies to law school. While I’m not certain exactly what my career trajectory will look like, I am confident that the leadership skills and strong relationships that I’ve developed by being an active member of the U of A community will serve me well throughout my life.

Career Snapshot - Lindsay Jessup - Job Shadow Week Participant

Career Snapshot - Lindsay Jessup - Job Shadow Week Participant 

Lindsay Jessup is a 5th year Sociology student born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. She’s the VP Media for the Sociology Undergraduate Student Association and is pursuing a diploma in Public Relations next fall after graduation. 

What was your experience working with the Office of the Registrar during Job Shadow Week? Did your job shadow experience relate to a position that you would like to pursue after graduation? 

When I applied for a job shadow with the University’s Office of the Registrar, I didn’t realize how nostalgic I would come to feel about my time on this campus. My sixth and final Career Centre job shadow encouraged me to get into the minds of both prospective and current U of A students– and this placement could not have come at a better time. In the midst of applying for graduation, scheduling grad photos, and penciling in my final exam schedule, I got to reflect on the aspects of the U of A that made me choose to “start here”.

I spent the day with Sheila Graham, acting Associate Director of Marketing & Communications. Through welcome packages, Instagram posts, and more, her team paints a green & gold picture that many of us can relate to. They aim to show prospective students what campus life is like above and beyond the classroom. Sure these kids care about what courses they can enroll in, but they also want to know that they can toss Frisbees on Quad in between classes, catch a perogy barbeque, and hop a quick bus ride to Whyte ave. They want the whole package.

I quickly identified with the Office of the Registrar’s mission. Coming from a social sciences background, I saw the importance of placing myself back in a 17-year-old’s shoes. The Office has set its sights on understanding the demographic: their barriers, and their objectives. If you can manage to wrap your head around all of that, you might just be able to show a prospective student why U of A is the right choice for them. 

This job shadow reaffirmed for me, that pursuing a career in Communications is the right path. Sheila’s team’s creativity could be the difference between someone stepping foot on this campus-- or not. It helped me realize I want to put my skills towards making that kind of difference in a young adult’s life.  Who knows what trajectory any one of us would be on had we chosen another institution? 

At the end of this experience, I was impressed by the extensive work that goes on behind the scenes, at the Office of the Registrar, to promote the UAlberta way of life. As I prepare to walk across the Jubilee’s stage, I can’t wait to see what comes from the next generation of Green & Gold.

Career Snapshot - Oluseun Adekunle - Job Shadow Week Participant

Career Snapshot - Oluseun Adekunle - Job Shadow Week Participant 

Oluseun Adekunle is an undergraduate international student living in Edmonton, Alberta. He is currently in his fourth year of Electrical Engineering with a focus in Power and Control Systems.

What made you want to participate in the U of A Job Shadow Week Program? Did you find the program valuable in helping you recognize potential career paths?

My participation in the University of Alberta Job Shadow Week Program was influenced by the desire to understand more about the various career paths possible in the Electrical Engineering discipline, specifically the Power and Utilities branch. The realization that an established career is beyond what I have learnt in school prompted my participation in the University of Alberta Job Shadow week.

I was privileged to be matched with Mr. Lorne Clark, an Electrical Engineer working with the Utilities Services, University of Alberta. The information sessions hosted by the Career Centre played a pivotal role towards a wonderful experience with the host. In addition to the information sessions, reading the material provided by the host was another great way to prepare for the event. At the end of program, I wanted to have a definite idea of the duties of an Electrical Engineer and the skills needed to excel in this profession. 

The day kicked off with an office meeting, brief discussion about our backgrounds, interests and expectations for the day. Mr. Clark summarized the schedule for the day along with general guidelines and we proceeded to watch videos that provided a detailed description about Utilities Services. Mr. Clark presented and explained the single line diagrams of the campus. We spent the morning touring the Cooling Plant on Campus and the Heating Plant. He took time to explain the significance of thorough thinking and its effect on the outcome of a design. He mentioned specific factors that come into play in implementing designs and analyzed factors from a managerial perspective. Examples of such factors are accessibility, reliability, safety, organization, life expectancy and flexibility to upgrade among many others. The discussion centered on the realization of design of systems captivated my interest. We were privileged to spend the afternoon with another staff member, Shaun, reviewing more single line diagrams and time-current curves used in protective device coordination. Lorne concluded the program with advice and recommendations for career advancement.

 

This Job Shadow week was successful for me because Lorne went above and beyond to help the participants and provided comprehensive answers to our questions. More importantly, I left with a list of useful skills that I needed to either hone or gain that will point my career in the right direction. Words cannot do justice to appreciate the Career Centre and the hosts for their effort in providing these opportunities for students.

Career Snapshot - Abygail Berg - Arts Leadership Cohort

Career Snapshot - Abygail Berg - Arts Leadership Cohort 

We caught up with Abygail Berg, a second year Industrial Design student and also the Arts Leadership Cohort leader for the 2015/2016. 

During University did you have a particular career path in mind? If so, how did this career path change throughout your degree?

Coming to the U of A I was quite certain of the career path I desired to have. I wanted to finish my industrial design degree and work in the field for a few years, then continue on and obtain my masters in architecture. Although I still aspire to follow this path, my experiences with getting involved in the residence community on campus and the greater community of Edmonton have opened new interests for me as well. 

In my first year I lived on the Arts/ Leadership Cohort, a floor in Lister Centre intended for (although it is open to anybody who wants to be involved) Faculty of Arts students who desire to be leaders in their community through volunteer work.  Living on the ALC reminded me both of how much I love community service, and how rewarding it is to live in a community of awesome students with similar interest.  Since I had such a great experience with the ALC I applied to be the Arts/ Leadership Cohort leader for my second year, and received the position!

This past year has been an amazing experience of getting to know many talented students who are part of the ALC, both from Lister and those who volunteer with us from outside of residence. We have been fundraising for the Boyle McCauley Health center, helping out at Hope Mission, exploring poverty in Edmonton through the help of The Mustard Seed’s Social Issues Walk, and we are also working on some mental wellness programing to finish up the year.

I never intended to work for Residence Services coming into U of A, but now that I have, it sparked a whole other set of interests for me.  Residence and community involvement has been an important part of my first two years at U of A. It has given me the opportunity to be involved with campus culture, while also being involved in the larger community of Edmonton. I encourage anybody who has the chance to be involved in some of the programs here on campus like the ALC, Engage Edmonton, or any number of other awesome student groups to do so! You never know where it may take you. I am looking forward to continuing to work with Residence Services for the next year, and hopefully continuing to work with them in the future to ensure that incoming students have just as great and if not better experiences than I did!

Career Snapshot - Kateryna Pashkovska - Career Mentor Program - Part 2

Career Snapshot - Kateryna Pashkovska - Career Mentor Program - Part 2 

In what ways did the Career Mentor Program help you establish a career path at a time when you were uncertain about your future? 

After seeing the power of connecting with professionals first hand, I decided to explore it further. Upon returning from Ukraine, I learned about the Career Mentoring Program and I was waiting for it to re-open in the new academic year. There was no question for me of the high value of this program because of my friend Ruslan’s personal experience as well as the deep respect that I have for Amy’s expertise in running the program. Similarly, the very idea of having an experienced mentor who could guide me through my endless “how to” questions for eight months felt terrific. I did my summer homework and entered one of my last semesters with a much clearer idea of what kind of job I wanted to focus on. My studies in socio-cultural anthropology have such a great scope of possibilities that I had to discover what some of my options and interests might be.     

    

Some of the important areas in my dissertation research are human ecology - interaction between humans and their urban environment in a multicultural context and how we find ways to cooperate in joint international projects without major misunderstandings. I’ve been working on social sustainability issues during my fieldwork in north-west Russia and I realized that this is what I want to continue pursuing here in Edmonton. 

    

Part of the application process to the Career Mentoring Program is to sit down with the Career Education Coordinators at the Career Centre. Amy and Jasmine did a superb job of questioning and challenging me on what I hoped to get from the career mentoring program. Thanks to them, I was able to realize my priorities which made my preparation for the program much more efficient that it could otherwise have been. 

     

In short, I decided that after having completed the program, I wanted to be able to put my skills to work outside of academia.  I crave hands-on experiences that would help me understand the functions of a real workplace including the dynamics between colleagues as well as team work. I want to learn about my prospective marketability, my strengths and weaknesses and work on them to raise my chances of getting a job. I don’t want to just feel good about my skills but also be able to prove that I can use them to the best of their ability.

Career Snapshot - Kateryna Pashkovska - Career Mentor Program - Part 1

Career Snapshot - Kateryna Pashkovska - Career Mentor Program - Part 1 

Kateryna is a Postdoctoral student who embraced the uncertainties of moving from academia to the workplace by looking for new opportunities. This led her to the Career Mentor Program available through the Career Centre! For the next few months we will be following Kateryna's journey while she works with her career mentor. 

Can you tell us about your experience so far with the Career Mentor Program and how you came to find yourself at the door of the Career Centre?

“So, what are my options, really?” I felt complete confused. “Do I continue teaching and make it a life-long career? To try to do something that correlates to my dissertation research? Or maybe to get yet another PhD?”  These were the restless thoughts that were revolving in my mind last spring when I finally got on track with my thesis writing that would result in a voluminous piece of writing that could in fact reward me with a degree.  

I have never had to make a living outside the academia so the idea of coming out to the job market into the real world was scaring me to death. That is when my friend, Ruslan Bergenov, referred me to The University of Alberta Career Centre. The referral was based on the fact that he had a fantastic experience with the Career Centre. He started a career path that looked right to him at the time and convinced me to go see Amy Roy Gratton at the Career Centre. So here I was, at the threshold of her office, disconnectedly narrating my story and asking infinite questions. This was only two weeks before I had to take a trip back to Ukraine to stay with my family over the summer, but I was so impatient and eager to do anything that would move me from where I was standing to some other (hopefully better) point in my career. I gladly took Amy’s advice on possible strategies of how to start building my network. I was starting from a point of not knowing anyone outside the U of A, and felt as though it would be impossible to find someone who had the qualifications, or who did the kind of work that would attract me to them. Looking back now, I can recognize how fuzzy my perception of possible careers was. 

Amy suggested that I conduct some information interviews with professionals who could give me advice. With Amy’s close guidance on how to write messages to these professionals, I began to connect with them. I was deeply touched each time she got back to me with the third or fourth edited draft of an e-mail I was to send. I learned that cold-calling and cold-emailing was an art that I had yet to master. Luckily, a couple of her contacts were able to squeeze me into their busy schedules in the limited time that I had left in Edmonton, before going back to Ukraine. It was truly fascinating to discover that perfect strangers, who had never heard of me before, would sit down with me and honestly try discuss the directions that I might take professionally, let alone come up with several practical solutions – I am genuinely thankful to them!    

Career Snapshot - Lauren Romaniuk - Digital Asset Librarian - Instacart

Career Snapshot - Lauren Romaniuk - Digital Asset Librarian - Instacart

Lauren Romaniuk's open mindset while considering her career options led her to taking advantage of numerous opportunities before she fell in love with an unexpected career.

"Why do I love librarianship? The skillset that librarians have is transferable to all sorts of workplaces, and many organizations are hungry for those skills. We (librarians) stand to make meaningful contributions in all sorts of domains if so choose. It’s just a matter of making our skills known!"

In this article, Lauren Romaniuk answers unconventional questions about her career path to becoming a digital asset librarian. While previously working in a recruitment position, Lauren learned the value of thoughtfully organizing information.  This was not a traditional setting for a librarian, but Lauren became fascinated with improving content and organizational structure. Eventually she realized, and subsequently pursued, her passion for librarianship. Lauren answers 13 questions about her experience finding a career that she loves, and even offers readers some advice on how to become involved in academic librarianship. 

To read the full article about Lauren's career journey please follow the link.

Career Snapshot - Crystal Snyder - Undergraduate Research Coordinator - Undergraduate Research Initiative

Career Snapshot - Crystal Snyder - Undergraduate Research Coordinator - Undergraduate Research Initiative

With Valentine's Day around the corner, we caught up with Crystal Snyder from the Undergraduate Research Initiative to learn about some of the reasons that she loves her job. 

Nine not-necessarily obvious reasons I love my job

I’m that person. The one who will tell anyone who asks (and many who don’t) how much I love my job. Four years ago, I left a career as a lab manager to coordinate what was then a sparkly new Undergraduate Research Initiative. It has been an incredible adventure. Here are just nine of the million and one reasons I’ve never looked back.

1. Students. They’re the reason I’m here, and why I love working at the university. Their energy, excitement, curiosity and creativity continually inspire me, and I feel privileged to help them along in their journey.

2. My co-workers. I love that we truly support one another. We have diverse backgrounds, skills, and talents, but we share the same values when it comes to supporting students.

3. Making a difference.  I am truly fortunate to have a job where I get to see the direct impact of my efforts.  I love it when students drop by to let me know they found a research position, published their first paper, 3D printed a heart, or found their place in the U of A community.

4. My office.  My door is always open to students, and I love that my office space reflects that.

5. Our startup spirit. URI is still the new kid on campus (launched in 2011), and we’re a small office trying to make a big impact. I love the challenge of building a program that reaches across campus and across disciplines. And I love the things that make URI different from other undergraduate research programs in Canada.

6.  The relationships. We may sometimes be the “little office that could,” but we don’t do it alone. I love that we have so many dedicated allies and collaborators on campus -- I have worked on campus for over a decade, but the last few years at URI have really made U of A feel like home.

7. The fit.  There is no way I could have ever planned my way into this job (I grew up with ambitions of being a veterinarian), but I love that it puts all of my interests to work. I am a researcher by training, a writer by nature, and a teacher at heart. Here, I get to do it all, and feed by own passion for learning along the way.

8. Growth.  Sometimes, even my awesome, amazing job is really hard. I’m an introvert with a highly extroverted job. Perfectionism & self-criticism are my super powers. I take failure personally. But I love that my work keeps me honest about my own struggles, and helps me grow personally and professionally.

9. Questions.  My first week in this job, I scribbled down what was to become URI’s tagline: “A question can take you anywhere.” I love the questions that brought me here, and where they might take me next.

Career Snapshot - Laura Kerslake - Work Experience Coordinator - Faculty of Arts

Career Snapshot - Laura Kerslake - Work Experience Coordinator - Faculty of Arts

With Valentine's Day around the corner, we caught up with Laura Kerslake, one of the Work Experience Coordinators for the Faculty of Arts, to learn about how she came to work in a career that she loves. 

Why do you consider your role at the University of Alberta to be the perfect career for you? What aspects of your career did you fall in love with? 

When seeking out a career I always seemed to be “distracted” by opportunities that were outside of my studied discipline. I seemingly jumped at the opportunities that came my way because I have always been interested by so many different things. For me, having a career I loved required that there were new challenges and opportunities to learn and grow in the field. Through happenstance, I was able to land my current position as a Work Experience Coordinator with the Faculty of Arts. Wonderfully, this role provides many new challenges and learning opportunities while combining the fields of Arts and Career Education, industries I am very passionate about. After working in the Work Experience Coordinator position for just under a year now, I still feel like I have won the lottery. The reason I love my job is because everyday I get to be creative. I have the opportunity to be creative when constructing media pieces, communication plans, as well in creating strategies and plans for various presentations and projects. Everyday I have the opportunity to collaborate with colleagues, seeing projects through from start to finish, and together we work to achieve common goals. On a daily basis I am fortunate to work with wonderful students, educating them on the career management process and all the career experiential programs available to them. I really enjoy experiencing the process of a student coming into my office to learn about Work Experience, to assisting them in career coaching and the job application process, to hearing they have successfully landed a position, and to finally seeing how work experience has challenged and and/or solidified their career management process. I am very fortunate to receive great mentorship and support to grow and learn in my role on a daily basis, which is not something every career provides.  Finally I love that everyday is different with new challenges, which ultimately makes it really exciting to go to work! 

Career Snapshot - Justin Pritchard - Career Centre - University of Alberta

Career Snapshot - Justin Pritchard - Career Centre - University of Alberta 

With Valentine's Day around the corner, we caught up with Justin Pritchard the Career Coach for Transition to Career (T2C), to learn about how he came to work in a career that he loves. 

Was your career path linear or did you experience happenstance before finding a position that you loved? What aspects of your career did you fall in love with?

My career journey has yet to be linear and one-tracked. Coming from an eclectic background in design, where I explored my own non-linear design process (in fashion, interior, graphic, integrative and learning design), I had an opportunity to recognize the cyclical and iterative nature of life—and specifically the cyclical and iterative nature of one’s own career development within life. I’ve also discovered life’s unpredictable and creative flow, which is based on the influence of unplanned events and happenstance. This has made my career journey, at this point in time, unique and exciting. It’s also made my career journey and current position as a Career Coach a platform for creating new connections across disciplines. 

It was in my undergraduate degree that I stumbled into the Career Centre by accident while looking for the U of A’s University Health Centre. The receptionist and I struck up a conversation about career services and he informed me about an upcoming job shadowing event called Job Shadow Week where I could explore a career option by spending a short period of time accompanying, observing and interviewing a professional in their workplace. I decided to choose a job host who was unrelated to design, since I had conducted many information interviews with design professional prior to that, and in turn I thought it would be advantageous to job shadow a career development practitioner in order to observe the role of an advisor, while simultaneously picking up on useful career advice. It was during this job shadow opportunity that I discovered that the Career Centre was hiring students. I was eager to create an application package for the job, which I did that evening. I was interviewed for the job and eventually hired as a Career Peer Educator in 2011. 

Who would have imagined that almost 5 years later, I, a designer with nearly 9 years of design education, would still be working within the field of career development but now as a Career Coach for a newly developed transition to career program called T2C? I feel very fortunate to work as a Career Coach at the U of A’s Career Centre in that I am able to fuse together many of my interests that are not typically associated with career development, making my role diverse and multilayered. Ever since I started to contemplate various career options in my teenage years, I had a difficult time imagining myself choosing one specific career based on a few interests—and especially in that I dreamed of being many different things such as a designer/creative professional, counsellor, teacher, recruiter, wellness coach, among others. Working at the Career Centre has allowed me to continue exploring many of my interests in different disciplines, which is a significant reason as to why I love and value my job. 

For example, I have been able to tie together my interests related to design practice with adult education while assisting in the development of the T2C program. I use many of the unique ideation techniques, which I learned and exercised through my design studies, to generate creative ideas with others during meetings and brainstorming sessions. I’ve also been able to link my interest in wellness and mindfulness practice to my role in developing T2C’s curriculum. Recently, I incorporated mindfulness—which is an open, nonjudgmental, present-moment awareness—into the program, though the design of online and in-person activities, as a technique that clients’ can test out while ameliorating anxiety related to uncertainty. Working for an organization that embraces and honours my unique attributes has been very fulfilling in that I’ve become excited about creating new and interesting connections between areas that might have not been explored before. Along the way, I’ve enhanced and expanded my creative thinking abilities.  

The Career Centre is an organization that embraces collaboration and the sharing of information with others, which is another reason that I love my job. Not only have I been able to link together my areas of interest, I’ve also been able to share these linkages with other staff members. Recently I approached the Director of the Career Centre and asked if I could develop a wellness/mindfulness in-service session for staff members. She was very open and eager at me implementing the idea and, in turn, I designed and facilitated a one-and-a-half hour workshop for career development professionals discussing the nature of mindfulness as it relates to creativity. Again, this was an opportunity for me to fuse together three of interests and share them with others (i.e. career development, mindfulness and creativity). This receptivity to creating connections and sharing information has allowed me to foster a curious mindset in my job while investigating the many possibilities for discovery within the field of career development. Thinking back to the notorious question “what should I be when I grow up?” I can now understand that all I ever wanted to be was an explorer-discoverer and I am fortunate live this role as Career Coach at the Career Centre. 

Career Snapshot - Jodie Worobec 

We caught up with Jodie Worobec, a past Career Peer Educator at the U of A Career Centre to ask about how this position affected her beliefs about employment. 

How did your work as a Career Peer Educator (CPE) affected your beliefs about finding employment?

CPE = Confidence Producing Experience. While completing my Bachelor of Commerce degree, I was fortunate to find the Career Peer Educator (CPE) program through the U of A Career Centre. Over the last three years of my degree, I gained significantly more from the CPE position than your ordinary on-campus job. This experience has had a lasting impression on not only my career path, but on how I approach life. 

Upon graduating, I was able to experience a concept that I had been teaching my student peers, the idea of planned happenstance. This theory revolves around preparing yourself to take advantage of unplanned career opportunities. When I finished my degree, I left to travel South America for two months with no career direction planned for my return. About halfway through my trip, I received messages from two staff members to alert me of a full time contract position at the career centre that would fit my skill set and career direction. I adapted to this unusual situation and prepared my resume while in Argentina, and interviewed on an outdoor pay phone in Brazil. I was offered the position and started my contract 48 hours after returning to Canada. I attribute my success to the network I had built in university and my openness to pursue an unexpected opportunity. Ultimately, this lead me to two contracts at the U of A Career Centre, and my first two years of full time career employment. 

What kind of influence did this position have on your  own career path?

Though my student work as a Career Peer Educator was a launching point for my career, the biggest benefit of the position was a boost to my confidence. The main role of a CPE is to educate students on resume, interview, and career skills. In order to advise other students, the U of A Career Centre provides the CPEs with in-depth training to ensure they are armed with knowledge of resume and interview best practices. If I had to guess, I probably reviewed more than 100 student resumes and conducted as many mock interviews in my time as a CPE. Using my training to review this many resumes, has made it a breeze to be critical about my own resume to wow potential employers. Once my resume has showcased my skills and opened the door to an interview, I am confident in my interview skills, so I can focus on expressing the experience I bring to a position rather than being nervous. Had it not been for my training and time working with the U of A Career Centre, I don’t think I would have the career confidence I have today. 

Career Snapshot - Joan Schiebelbein - Career Centre - University of Alberta

Career Snapshot - Joan Schiebelbein - Career Centre - University of Alberta 

We caught up with Joan Schiebelbein, Director of the University of Alberta Career Centre, to find out about her experience with summer employment.

How would you describe your experience with summer employment during university? Were all of your summer jobs related to your field of work?

All of the summer jobs I had when I was an undergraduate student at the U of A were manual labour. One was with a student painting company. When it came to describing that job on my resume, I didn’t know what to write besides “Painted houses.” However, when I really think about how I did that job and the environment I worked in, I see that I developed some very valuable transferable skills. Let me explain.

I worked the whole summer with one other student. Our boss would take us to a new job site, review what needed to be done, tell us how much time we had to do it, and give us our supplies. Sometimes we wouldn’t see him again for days. My partner and I would decide when our work day would begin and end, when we would take breaks, and who would be responsible for doing what. If there were any problems with the job, we worked them out with the homeowner. If they couldn’t be resolved, then we were responsible for contacting our boss.

We were only paid for the number of hours budgeted for the job. If we went over budget our actual hourly wage was lower than what we were hired at, but if we were under budget our actual hourly wage was higher. After about a month’s experience, we often came under budget and still received positive feedback from our customers, some of whom would actually leave us a house key so that we had access to a washroom. One even let us use her swimming pool!

So what transferable skills did I develop through this experience? Teamwork, customer service, problem solving, responsibility, and trustworthiness just to name a few – these are all skills I’ve continued to use throughout my career. 

Career Snapshot - Rabib Alam - Faculty of Engineering - University of Alberta

Career Snapshot - Rabib Alam - Faculty of Engineering - University of Alberta 

We caught up with Engineering student, Rabib Alam, to discuss the benefits of finding summer employment that relates to your degree and what advice he would give to first year students. 

While in University, were you able to find summer employment that was related to your degree?

Coming from a specialized academic background such as Petroleum Engineering, I was eyeing job openings in the oil and gas industry ever since my first semester. Finally, after having gained a diversity of extra-curricular experiences that entailed part-time on-campus work, student group leadership involvement and finally a summer internship with the University itself, all of this during my first year, I felt I was ready to apply for the Engineering Student Summer Internships that many of the big oil and gas companies were advertising. Fall (September to October) is often times the peak recruiting season for these companies, so I used my free time in summer prior to that to research these companies more effectively to be able to target my work search better.  As fall came, I had applied to over 6 different companies, mostly for Field Engineering Student positions and after having waited patiently, yet, with a tad bit of nervousness, I finally received a couple of interview calls. Both interviewers were impressed by my diversity of experiences and appreciated how I balanced commitments despite having to go through the hell-fire that Engineering first year is.  Encana Corporation, a Calgary based integrated energy company, offered me a 4 month Field Operations Engineering Position, which set the right momentum for my career growth ever since.

What was the value of looking for related work early in your degree as oppose to finding a position once you had graduated?

Experiential learning activities like Internships, part-time work, student group involvement give your university experience a greater meaning. If you’re able to find work earlier on, you would be able to gain simple, yet meaningful transferable skills such as effective communication skills, both verbal and written, organization, teamwork and sound work ethics. These are sometimes classified as soft-skills that regardless of the industry you’re pursuing work for, are extremely valuable employability traits. Therefore, when you gain these skills earlier on during your university years, you’re making the transition into your desired work-place a lot smoother. Additionally, most companies hire new graduates for new-graduate training positions which usually last 1-3 years for employers. Since it does cost employers time, money and effort, it makes more sense for them to hire students with more experience and the desired soft-skills over students who have only graduated with a degree in hand. Additionally, the workplaces are getting more and more competitive each day, and in order to not just survive but be an achiever, students need to stand out from the crowd; the earlier it’s done, the better. On a final note, I will share a link to an article written by an Industry mentor I personally look up to a lot for all the right things she has to say about the student recruitment world.

If you were to pass on a piece of advice to first year engineers regarding employment, what would it be?

The first year of engineering schedule doesn’t bring back the sweetest memories, and I am sure all others who have gone through it don’t feel too differently. Yet, during the weekends, evenings, or even scheduled breaks, try doing something meaningful. U of A offers job shadow week programs that run during both the Fall and Winter reading week break. You could use that time to pair up with an Engineering Industry professional and shadow them at their own workplace! Not only are you making useful connections, but you’re getting a good sense of what engineering specialization you would want to choose going forward. Additionally, no campus recruiter expects engineering students to have relevant industry experience, especially for summer or co-op jobs. However, they do expect you to have other experiences be it through student group involvement or through your weekend part-time job. At the end of the day, they would be assessing you based on what you have done mostly outside of class and not be too vested in knowing how well you prepared prior to your Math 101 Final.  

Career Snapshot - Yuan Shi - Undergraduate Research Initiative - University of Alberta

Career Snapshot - Yuan Shi - Undergraduate Research Initiative - University of Alberta 

We caught up with Yuan Shi, who works as the Engagement Facilitator at the Undergraduate Research Initiative at the University of Alberta, to ask about her transition from a former international student into the workplace. As well as her recent experience attending a youth forum in Barcelona, Spain.  

When you decided to move to Canada to pursue your education abroad, what were some of the difficulties that you had to overcome? 
I am a female, born and raised in a small Chinese village with severe pollution and overwhelming gender discrimination. I used to be painfully shy. At 18, I dropped out of my local university to pursue my dream of studying abroad. The hurdles of the application process were countless—I lacked formal English language training, financial support and social networks. When you are the first person in your entire family to attend college, you don’t know what your potentials are, until someone told you that “you can do it.” The inspiration within my career has always been the idea of community. For the past five years, I was highly involved with community development via diverse initiatives and delivered community engagements in Cuba, Mexico, Canada, Spain and the mountain ranges of China. 

You recently participated in a prestigious youth forum in Spain, what was your experience at the conference and how did it effect your future career path?
In October 2015, I attended a youth forum called "The New Era of Employment and Education: Solutions for Change" in Barcelona, Spain. The conference gathered 75 young professionals and senior experts throughout the world to exchange ideas, share experience and build a global network to contribute to tackling the issue of youth education and unemployment. What I found unique about the forum was that 16 youth-led community projects, initiated by over 30 young leaders, were selected to compete for financial and technical support.  The projects ranged from social media information sharing platforms and professional development programs to education models and collaborations with businesses. I was impressed that 73 out of 75 program participants were from developing nations, with only two people from North America.  I was equally impressed that 70% of the presenters were female. The youth presenting their projects have been leading small but powerful social programs in their local communities and making genuine contributions. 

Four days’ inspirational experience with young leaders reminded me of a term I had heard a few times—soft power. This term was initially coined by political scientist Joseph Nye as the ability to attract and persuade. Shashi Tharoor, in his TED talk, called it, “the ability of a culture to tell a compelling story and influence others to fall in love with them”. This experience in Spain offered me valuable first-hand experience on the importance of soft power to career development. I found that having the awareness of improving my soft power really push me and challenge me to expand my horizons. In this way, you always keep your mind open about what you see before you get to the destination. Because your destination may not be important, it’s about the experiences along the way and how those experiences enrich you as a critical and thoughtful citizen. 

Career Snapshot - Marni Devlin Moses - Sustainability Scholars Program - University of Alberta

Career Snapshot - Marni Devlin Moses - Sustainability Scholars Program - University of Alberta 

We caught up with Marni Devlin Moses to ask about her work with the Sustainability Scholars Program and how her interest in environmental conservation and knowledge of sustainability impacted her career path.

       

How did your Sustainability Scholars Program project, The Way We Green, come to fruition, and what is the ultimate goal of the project? 

As an MBA student specializing in Sustainability, I was very excited when the opportunity to work with the City of Edmonton as a Sustainability Scholar came up. I thought that this would be a real world chance to use my knowledge and skills to address issues of sustainability in the City. My project was around Energy Mapping and started with the availability of some data on residential energy use across the city. The question was how can we use this information to identify opportunities to engage with citizens and further the City’s goals in their sustainability strategy, The Way We Green.

The goals for the project were to use data on energy use to identify opportunities for activities or interventions that could reduce energy usage in different neighborhoods; to create city neighborhood profiles to identify areas for targeted interventions based on their energy use and other socioeconomic data; and to identify other jurisdictions that have collected and used energy consumption data to see how the information guided their actions. The final report provided some recommendations about how the energy data could be used, and underscores the need to have this level of detailed information to make the best possible decisions. With consistent, reliable data, the city will be able to make recommendations, set targets, and measure change and success over time.

How has working with the Sustainability Scholars Program impacted your career path? 

My career path has taken me in some very different directions. I completed a BSc in Biological Sciences and then went on to an MSc in Experimental Medicine. After working in research for many years, I decided that I had a real interest in the environment and sustainability and wanted to find a way to take my scientific knowledge and training into the business world to apply it to some very pressing questions about how we use our resources and how we can do better. The Sustainability Scholars program gave me a chance to work outside my traditional field and to gain experience that I can apply to my future work. It was also an opportunity to meet people, across many disciplines, who have similar sustainability goals. Sustainability is a multi-faceted problem and many perspectives and ideas will be needed to come up with the best solutions. The Sustainability Scholars program gives graduate students an opportunity outside of academia to gain work experience and is an example to employers of the value that these students bring to the table.