E-Portfolios

With the spring and summer months approaching, it’s time to shift those New Year’s Resolutions to something more career-focused. Why not spice up your summer job application with an e-portfolio? How to go about creating one you ask? Well, we've got the rundown to get you up to speed on establishing a strong online presence without the technical difficulties.

Before we dive into things, we recommend thinking of a layout of how you’d like your personal portfolio to look. Feel free to draw inspirations from websites which you find aesthetically pleasing. Now it’s time to gather the resources you want to showcase for the world to see.  Consider including the following:

               About Me

o   A section to tell the visitor about yourself and what you have to offer

Resume

o   This is good to include as a PDF or an interactive section

A Blog

o   A great way to show your interests and career-related activities to show your passion towards your field of interest

Skills/Expertise

o   Experience Plus Transcript, performance evaluation, completed self-assessments

Extra-curricular Activities

o   Volunteering (athletic/social), sports teams (played/coached), school competitions

We recommend checking out our checklist here for more ideas. We encourage including pictures, pamphlets, and awards to add merit to your work. The next step is to choose an online platform which is easy to use and full of functionality. Here are a few worth checking out:

 www.wix.com

 www.pathbrite.com

 www.yola.com

 www.weebly.com

 www.wordpress.com (if you're feeling brave)

Some online websites that assist with portfolio creation might have upgrade options if you’re looking to maximize your exposure. We recommend having a section for your resume for prospective employers looking for a quick snapshot of your skills.

Once you get your sweet, new website running, be sure to make note of it on your cover letter to draw employers' attention to your work. Remember to stop by our Career Resource Centre and take advantage of our amazing resources if you’re having any trouble.

Wajeeh Alvi, Career Assistant

3rd Year Computer Science, Brock University 

Gaining Experience for Your Resume and Future Career

 I can't get a job because I have no experience because I can't get a job because I have no experience....

What can you do about that conundrum? Many employers will post a minimum level of experience that they would like their applicants to have, but often times that is just on their "wish list" for the perfect candidate. While we don't suggest that you go applying to jobs that state they would like 15 years managerial experience, there are things you can do to get your foot in the door with limited experience.

Having ZERO experience can be limiting, but if you are reading this blog you are already interested in your career path and will be willing to take steps to gain some relevant experience... right? Right. Some of the ideas below may help you build your skillset.

Volunteering

Many skills (and transferable skills that are applicable to all employment) can be gained through volunteer work. The types of volunteer positions out there are endless and can be tailored to suit your career goals. Often times organizations are very happy to have volunteers, even if only for a few hours. Volunteering is something that can easily be squeezed in to a busy school schedule. Start early to accumulate the most experience, but do not be shy about starting if you are almost graduating, or have graduated.

Blogging/ Managing your Online Presence

Blogging or other types of website management are useful technical skills to have. Blogging for an organization as a volunteer  is useful for exploring topics that may be outside of your familiarity zone. Managing a career/ industry related blog helps you to stay current on trending issues and shows your interest in your field.

Managing your online presence is so important. Having a work appropriate online presence can be created through linkedin, twitter, involvement in online industry related forums or groups ( many can be found on linkedin). Have you googled yourself? What comes up? Many employers will google you and check you out online. Take control of your image and make it as wonderful as you are.

Contract Work

Temporary work contracts may be available to both undergraduate and graduated students. Keep in mind, it may not be your dream job right off the bat, but  its a foot in the door, and any experience is good experience. Short contracts are excellent for networking and creating relationships with people in your field. If it went well you will have gotten some experience, and hopefully a glowing positive reference letter that will help you gain more experience in the future.

On Campus Involvement

Involving yourself in the many different on campus activities can give you experience in a vast variety of different situations. Some of the ones that come to mind for me are: politics, event management, administration, project management, volunteer coordination, and the list goes on. On campus involvement allows you to grow as an individual and improve upon your leadership skills. If you start early, you may be able to "work your way up" the ladder and take on a leadership role in your later years of school. These higher positions speak volumes about your personality, dedication, and transferable skills and shows you are able to act as an ambassador -  an important trait for any business.

Summer/ Part Time Positions

Summer time is a great time to get a job and start racking up your experience. Starting with jobs that give you a wide variety of transferable skills and building from there is an excellent way to boost your level of experience. You learn how to work with different people, in different situations. It doesn't have to be your dream job just yet, but if you can find a picture perfect summer position that's even better!


Come on in to Career Services if you would like any advice on how to get involved on campus, or find a volunteer or job opportunity that suits your career related goals. We would love to help you!

Becky W.
4th Year  BA Tourism and Environment
Lead Career Assistant

Goal Setting in the New Year!

Getting back into the school setting after a relaxing holiday can be overwhelming. All of a sudden you have assignments to prepare for and final marks to think about. It is so easy to fall behind, but setting the right achievable goals can lead you to a successful term.

First you want to decide what your goals are! Here at Career Services we made a tool to help lead you to the completion of your goals, we call it the Goal Action Form. We use this tool often with students especially if they are preparing to write up big career documents (such as a CV or Portfolio) or if they are applying to grad school or teacher's college. However you want to use this tool, it can provide anyone with a visual step by step process to keep them on track. We have a bunch of these at the Career Resource Centre that you are welcome to come pick up any time!

Goal seeing is an important method of deciding what you want to achieve in your life. It separates whats important from whats irrelevant or a distraction. It is also a tool for motivating yourself, and building your self-confidence based on successful achievement of goals.

If you don't already set goals, try starting now. As you make this technique a part of your life and use the resources that surround you, you'll find your goals accelerating and you will wonder how you did without it!

Happy 2015!

Everyone here at Career Services would just like to wish everyone a happy new year. The second semester has just started, and we are open for business again!

As a reminder, we are open Monday-Friday, 9am-4:30pm. Drop-in any time to use our services which include the following:
- Resume, cover letter, CV, letter of intent, portfolio, and LinkedIn profile reviews
- Job search (full-time and part-time, off-campus and on-campus), summer job search
- What can I do with my degree?
- I don't know what I want to do after I graduate!
- I don't know if I am in the right program!
- Going abroad (teaching, working, studying...)
- Post-grad options

- Interview preparation
- Self-Assessments

... and so much more. It is difficult to keep track of all of the services we provide!

You can also email us a career@brocku.ca if you cannot make it into the Career Resource Centre or are out of town, or you can talk to us on the chat between 9am-4:30pm on the Career Services webpage.

Stay tuned to our blog for a plethora of informative posts this year.

Anthony Mancuso
Senior Career Assistant
Honours Bachelor of Sport Management - Year 3