2017 - 2018 CareerZone Team

It's a new school year and we would like to officially welcome all new and returning staff to CareerZone. Take a look through this blog post to see the friendly faces that will be helping you with all of your career-related questions! 

Career Assistants:

Stephanie

Program: Political Science with a minor in labour studies!

Favourite Career-Related Experience: was when I volunteered at a summer camp for three weeks because I got to spend my days working with young kids who were always so energetic and fun to be around!

Teresa

Program: Business Economics

Favourite Career-Related Experience: is my position as Plus Programs Assistant.

Spencer

Program: Sociology major concentration in Criminology

Favourite Career-Related Experience: One of my favourite career related experiences was working for the Niagara Region within the Human Resources department as a student assistant. This experience was a great opportunity, that enabled me to make valuable connections and further my skills and knowledge in relation to human resources. Working for Brock University parking services as an office assistant has also been another favourite work experience of mine, which has increased my involvement within the Brock community and enabled me to become one of the many faces of Brock.

Preya

Program: Business Administration
Favourite Career-Related Experience: My favourite work experience was working in Residence last year. I made some great friends and really enjoyed doing my job!

Megan

Program: Labour Studies (co-op)

Favourite Career-Related Experience: My co-op placement this summer was by far my favourite career related experience. I worked at an Employment Ontario Centre as a program facilitator for a program called Youth Job Connection Summer. During this experience, I worked closely with 60 high school aged youth in my community facing barriers to employment and matched them with summer jobs. It was such an amazing and rewarding experience to see how the participants progressed over the summer, and to see the impact employment had on their lives.

Lindsay

Program: Labour Studies and Psychology

Favourite Career-Related Experience: My favourite career related experience has to be gaining the opportunity to work with the amazing folks within the Career Education department. I love being surrounded by passionate individuals who relish in the chance to see students succeed.

Chloe

Program: Political Science

Favorite Career-Related Experience: would be my summer student position at the YMCA of Niagara Employment & Immigrant Services. I'm from out of I'm from out of town so staying in Niagara for the summer gave me new opportunities and kept me busy adventuring in my free time! As a foodie, I definitely got to taste every single ice cream parlor on Clifton Hill. My position itself introduced me to a great team of co workers and really helped me find my career path for after Brock. I hope this year I can help students finding theirs too!

Senior Career Assistants:

Chelsey

Program: Honours Psychology with co-op.

Favorite Career-Related Experience: was learning about and then utilizing different technologies to assist in learning for children with learning disabilities

Akayla

Program: Honours Medical Science

Favorite Career-Related  Experience: Being a Career Assistant has been one of my favourite career experiences. I've really enjoyed getting to work with students on campus and develop so many skills I can apply to future positions. It was great to be involved in the brainstorming, planning and facilitation of some aspects of staff training too! One of my other favorite positions was being an Au Pair in Italy! It was definitely challenging, but I got to experience so much culture and learn a bit of a new language.

Victoria

Program: Honours Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, Minor in Psychology

Favorite Career-Related Experience:  having the opportunity to work for the Canadian Deafblind Association. Everyday is a learning experience and the position pushes me to not only be the best version of myself but also helped me in deciding my next steps to reach my desired career.

Lead Career Assistants:

Andre

Program: Business Administration                          

Favorite Career-Related Experience: was working as an accounting assistant over the past summer. I got the chance to work on many interesting projects across various departments which taught me valuable skills and developed my understanding of how firms operate in an international market.

Sean

Program: Bachelor of Accounting

Favourite Career-Related Experience: Meeting students from across numerous faculties and departments and learning more about their career experiences

Full-Time Staff

Kara

Title: Supervisor, Career Education

Favorite Career Experience:  My current job!  I get to work with great people and watch them grow and develop!

Donna

Title: Career Consultant

Favorite Career Experience: the day I realized work can be fun!

Welcome Back Badgers!

We hope you're excited for another eventful year at Brock. As you're all getting back into your campus routine, we thought it would be a great time to update you on our center and remind you of the awesome services we offer at Careerzone. First off, our center has undergone some renovations and we are now located in Guernsey Market Hall. We are a free drop-in center, and will be open Monday-Friday 9am-4pm throughout the school year.  

Some of the many ways we can help you this year include:

1. Events 

1. Don't miss our events happening throughout the year. From our On-Campus Job fair to our faculty-specific career nights, there's an event for you! Stay up to date with what's happening by following us on social media or looking at our events calendar on careerzone.brocku.ca. 

2. Resume/Cover Letter Reviews 

1. Want to update your resume or get a second opinion before applying to jobs? You can drop-in to our center with a printed copy of your documents and we can give you some constructive feedback. Also make sure to take a look at our online templates to get ideas on how to format and what to include on your resume/coverletter! 

3. Mock Interviews 

1. Landed a job interview? Why not go through a trial run before doing the real thing.. Book a mock interview with one of our full time staff and get feedback on your interview skills! We also have an online workshop and resources that can help you succeed! 

4. Job Search  

1. Whether you're looking for a part-time or full-time position, or even an internship, our staff can assist you! Our job postings are all located on careerzone.brocku.ca to browse, and we have tons of tips on how to effectively job search!   

5. Degree Exploration 

1. Don’ t think you're in the right program? Not sure what you can do with your degree? Come in to the center and have a career chat with one of our staff members. We also have tons of career assessments and Degree Exploration Guides to help lead you in the right direction.                                                                                                                               

These are just a few of the services we provide.. We have tons of information for Teacher Candidates, portfolios, going abroad, graduate school and more! Don't forget to login to careerzone.brocku.ca to access all of our online job postings, resources and workshops. Happy Homecoming!

Senior Career Assistant: Akayla Olajos

6 Tips on Gaining Career Experience During the Summer:

6 Tips on Gaining Career Experience During the Summer:

Are you looking for ways to enhance your resume and gain career experience? Well summer is the perfect time to do this! Take a look at 6-ways you can make the most out of your summer break:

1.       Get a Summer Job/Internship

-          Whether it is in a related or unrelated field, gaining a summer job or internship will help you develop transferrable skills that are essential in any work environment! It is also a great way to figure out what you do and do not like in terms of careers.

2.       Volunteer

-          If you don’t meet the job requirements, or you don’t have the time to work in a related field this summer, volunteering is a great option for you. Volunteering requires less time commitment than a job, gives you valuable experience you can add to your resume, and is a great way to give back to your community!

3.       Attend a conference

-          Attending a conference, workshop or event in your area of study is a great way to learn more about the different professions within your field. You also will have the chance to network with professionals, and form great connections for securing job opportunities later on.

4.       Conduct an informational interview

-          Do you have a couple different professions in mind for post-graduation and aren’t sure which one would best suit you? The summer is a perfect time to meet with people in companies or in job positions that interest you, and ask them some questions that you would like to know. Just conduct an internet search and send a few emails to see if the individual would be willing to meet with you – and make sure to go prepared with a list of questions!

5.       Go Abroad

-          If you get the chance, working or volunteering internationally is a great way to enhance your skillset. Whether you are learning a new language, developing your communication and adaptability skills, or increasing your cross-cultural understanding, global experience is viewed as an asset in many workplaces. Also, is there a better time to travel than on your summer break?

6.       Professional Development

-          Completing various certifications during the summer is an easy way to gain prerequisites for a job or enhance your resume. Some common certifications that many jobs require include First Aid and CPR, Smart Serve, and your G-class driver’s license. For more program-specific professional development, check out our Degree Exploration Guides at:  https://brocku.ca/ccee/career-education/campus/what-can-i-do-with-my-degree/  

Do you have any questions on how obtain the mentioned experiences? Drop in to CareerZone or visit our online resource center (careerzone.brocku.ca) for tips on all of your career related questions! Enjoy your summer Badger’s!

Akayla Olajos
Career Assistant

10 Jobs for History Majors

Canada Day has just passed, and one thing this special day does is encourage us to think about the history of our country. With that in mind, it reminds us that many find interest in discovering, learning about, and sharing this history.

Are you a History major unsure of what career path you want to go down? Well you would likely be surprised to know how many careers are in your field! Whether it is a position that requires further education, or one where your History degree will suffice on its own, here are 10 jobs that you might have not known about as a History major:

Administrator

This role tends to focus on bookkeeping, communication, and data entry in various offices. However, it can be tailored more to History majors depending on where the position is. Historical Site Administrators are responsible for managing and overseeing historical sites. How cool is that?

Historian

This one is surely a more obvious title for History majors, but many do not fully understand the depth of this role. Historians gather, analyze, and interpret historical information. As well as write reports, archive or preserve materials for museums, and more!

Researcher

Have excellent communication skills that you want to put to use? Then this could be the job for you. This position includes preparing reports, writing papers, and communicating with various historians and archivists. If research is something you enjoy, then look into making it a career.

Biographer

You will be able to assemble biographical materials and do research in various forms in order to summarize a person’s life in the most engaging way possible as a Biographer. If you enjoy combining personal history and bringing it into a current context, and want to focus on individual histories, then this would likely be a great match for you!

Government Researcher

Maybe you have an interest in politics. Possibly minored in Political Science? This role could be ideal for you! Government Researchers assist with analyzing, developing and reviewing government policies. This could include delivering presentations, ensuring research is done effectively and in a timely manner, and responding to inquiries.

Tour Guide

If you want to share important historical information about certain places, then being a Tour Guide might be something you’d enjoy! You will be answering tourist questions, conduct tours, and greet guests.

Lawyer

With further education, your History degree can be used to get you in the field of Law. You will need to have a good understanding of policies, an ability to analyze legal documents, and much more. There are also various kinds of Lawyers, so the options are endless!

Museum Curator

Museums tend to be a special place for History majors. Having knowledge of documenting artifacts, excellent research skills, ability to plan a budget, and creativity will be useful skills to help you thrive in this profession. Museum curators acquire, document, interpret, and manage certain art collections.

Ethnologist

This position includes planning and conducting research studies, and can include formulating general laws of cultural development and looking into social and cultural behavior. If you enjoy learning about social patterns and using research skills then look into this role!

Gallery Assistant

As a Gallery Assistant you will be responsible for opening and closing the gallery, ensuring items are in the proper place, provide great display sections for the artwork, and giving overall assistance in a gallery. If you enjoy art history then this is perfect for you! 

So there you have it! 10 jobs that might interest you as a History major. For more information on different career paths, job search information, and learning about degree specific skills, drop into CareerZone! 

Lydia Collins

Senior Career Assistant 

Once a Badger, Always a Badger: Congratulations Graduates!

It’s that time of year again where a brand new group of Badgers move on to their next chapter. This could mean going to work, diving right into post-graduate studies, or taking time to travel and explore the world outside of academia. Whatever you have in mind, we want to help!

One of the greatest advantages that come along with being a Brock Badger is the fact that you will still receive so much support even after you finish your undergrad. So what’s next? Well, how about you start with seeing what CareerZone can offer you as a new graduate! Here are a few ways we can help you with your first step in a new direction:

CareerZone (the website)

Make use of CareerZone’s online resource Centre to have access to workshops, job postings, career events and more! To activate your alumni account, head to my.brocku.ca, look under “Activate your account” then select “Applicant, New, Returning Student or Alumni”.

Resume and Cover Letter Reviews

One of our most popular services, be sure to drop in for an on-the-spot resume or cover letter review, no appointment necessary! Bring in a printed version of your documents and we’ll provide you with feedback, templates, and writing strategies to help you keep your application up-to-date. If you’re unable to come in, email us at career@brocku.ca for an online review!

Interview Preparation

Now that you are likely searching for employment-especially within your field- we want to make sure that you are able to impress employers! From templates, online resources, to even scheduling mock interviews, we will make sure that you feel best prepared to walk into your next interview.

Job Search Strategies

Want help figuring out the best ways to search for jobs in your field? We’ve got plenty of resources and expertise in that area!

Experience Plus

This would be a great time to print off your Experience Plus transcript! You can include it in your application to graduate studies, or even jobs! You can track your experience on your my.brocku.ca. Contact the Experience Plus Assistant at expplus@brocku.ca for more details. 

Lydia Collins

Senior Career Assistant 

A Welcome Message from your Summer CA's!

School’s out…unless you took spring/summer courses.

Whether you’re still on campus over the next four months, back home, or around the region as a local, CareerZone is open for your convenience! From Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm, we will be here to help you with your career related needs. Before stopping in, it might be useful to know a few things! Here are a few reminders for what to know coming into CareerZone over the spring/summer months:

Who’s going to help you?

If you recall, last summer I was the face you seen in the office, but this time, there’s two of us! Myself, and fellow Career Assistant, Akayla, will be here over the next few months to assist you. Drop into CareerZone, or even just wave when you walk by!

We moved!

Some of our most exciting news for the summer is that we moved! CareerZone is now located in ST211 in the Learning Commons (just around the corner from our old space, next to the elevators by the librarian desk). Come check out our new home!

What we do

Here at CareerZone we focus on helping you with your career related needs. We provide resources for resume and cover letter reviews, further education information, interview preparation, job search strategies and much more! And even more exciting? We are a drop in service, so no appointment necessary!

So, there are a few things you should know about CareerZone. We hope to see you soon, and if you’re unable to drop in feel free to contact us via email at career@brocku.ca.  Enjoy your summer, Badgers! 

Lydia and Akayla 

Summer Career Assistants 

End of the year farewells!

That's a wrap! As the academic year comes to a close, we'd like to say thanks to all of our staff who contributed to such a successful year for the Career Education community (formerly Career Services). 

Additionally, we would like to pay tribute to some of our staff who will be heading onto new things after their time with us. These staff members have made valuable contributions to our department and we are going to miss them dearly!


Scarlet Stark

Scarlet will be ending her time here with us after working 3 years as a Lead Career Assistant!! Her friendly demeanor and amazing advice will make her greatly missed within the centre. She would have likely been the first person you see when you walked into the centre, for good reason too! She is always smiling and willing to go above and beyond to help students. Without her extensive knowledge about the vast resources Brock offers - we don't know what we will do without her!! Thanks Scarlet for some amazing memories that will truly be cherished. After graduating from the Psychology program, Scarlet will be working with the Student Engagement Office at the Goodman School of Business. We appreciate her for being such a great ambassador for Career Services and are proud of her accomplishments.

Daniel Moody

Although we only had a year together, Daniel has made a great impact on us. He was always eager to help students when they came in the centre and learn about new topics to better help students. He has an immense passion for the career community which we will miss! His friendly smile and enthusiasm towards his role has made him an exceptional addition to the Career Education family. Can't wait to see you around campus Daniel!

Julia Camilleri

One of our other Career Assistants, Julia, will also be graduating this term and working in the HR industry. Her extensive experience in the labour market was a great tool when answering student questions! We'll also miss seeing her friendly face on the phone when she would Skype into our meetings 😂😂😂. Thanks for always being so positive and optimistic! We wish her all the best in her future endeavors.

Tyler Harris

Tyler has also spent three years within the Career Education department as a Lead Career Assistant and has been a valuable asset to the team. Mr. Busy, you can find him at one of his jobs, clubs, or meetings. However, he always had time to spend with the the Career Education family! He went the extra mile when helping students and always had a way of making them feel comfortable within our environment. His approachability and eagerness to help around will be truly missed. We can't wait to see the great things he will surely accomplish in the future.  

Thank you all for the great memories and experiences we have shared together! We will miss you dearly and are excited to see what great successes you achieve. On behalf of your Career Education family we wish you the best of luck. 

#CSLove

Love, 

The Career Assistant Family