6 Things ALL New Grads Should Know

To end this month long theme of graduation related blog posts and information, here are 6 things ALL new graduates should know:

1. Know Your Network
So you have a network of 500 + people on your Linkedin; but how many do you make an effort to keep in touch with or catch up with professionally speaking? Make sure you know your network and everyone in it. By this I mean making meaningful connections that can open up opportunities for both parties! Even if your network is small, make the effort to maintain contact. Also, keep in touch with your graduating class and professors; these connections are great to maintain, especially if the thought of doing graduate school has ever crossed your mind!

2. Know Your Skills
Identifying the key skills you gained through your education, work, and volunteer experiences is imperative to finding work that correlates to your expertise. If your skilled at writing and have extensive experience writing blogs and articles, you can narrow down fields to work in by looking for those skills in job postings. This will help you to be on your way to utilizing what you know professionally to land the perfect entry level position! Our Degree Exploration Guides can help with identifying degree specific skills so be sure to check them out!

3. Know Your Transferable Skills
We've all had that job where we said to ourselves "What am I learning from this experience?". Often times, it's occupations in the service industry like serving coffee at your local Tim Horton's or waiting tables at Boston Pizza. However, never forget the transferable skills being gained through these types of positions. Not only are skills like teamwork and customer service being gained, but also other valuable skills like time-management and organization. So if the job of your dreams isn't available right now, never turn down other opportunities! Where there is work, there are transferable skills to be gained!


4. Know Your Goals
And when I say goals I mean both short term and long term! The job of your dreams may not be hiring right now, but that doesn't mean you should put your life on hold. If something is in the way of a long-term goal, work on your short-term goals, and vise versa. And never stop setting goals for yourself! It's truly the difference between those who find themselves stuck in a "rut" and those who progress! For some extra goal-setting tips, check out another great blog post here. 

5. Know Yourself

It's the classic scenario: you are in an interview and they ask you to "Describe yourself in 5 words" or "Tell us your biggest strength or biggest weakness". Even though we spend all day with ourselves, these questions are sometimes the most difficult to answer. This is why knowing yourself inside and out is beneficial! Write down some strengths and weaknesses or words you feel encompass your own personal brand in order to get to know yourself better. This will not only help with goal-setting and networking, but will also make interviews not only easier, but much more successful! 

6. Know Your Resources
If you need help, it's important to know where to get it. For example, as Brock Alumni, new graduates will have access to extensive career resources both in the Career Resource Centre here at Brock and on-line through Careerzone and the Online Resource Centre. From career document reviews, to workshops, to job search help and interview practice, and even graduate school information, we've got you covered on all fronts! Be sure to check out Grad LINK via Linkedin and connect with us on Facebook and Twitter too! Utilize the resources you have available to you to succeed!

Again, a big congratulations to ALL graduates! Hopefully these must-knows will help you not only get to know yourself better, but also make the transition from university to work seamless & successful!

Scarlet Stark
Career Assistant
Psychology Major 

Grad LINK: Stay Connected!

Calling all Brock Graduates! This week you will be walking across that stage with your peers to receive your reward for all these years of hard work at Brock! But with graduation can come some bittersweet feelings and, of course, some big questions, like what if I lose touch with important people I've met here at Brock? And how will I navigate my way from university into a successful career all on my own? The team at Career Services has already thought about these questions and, of course, have the answers for you!

Grad LINK is a group on Linkedin exclusive to Brock alumni which allows graduating students to stay connected not only with the team here at Career Services, but also with your fellow graduating peers, Brock staff, and employers. Career and employment related information involving recruitment, networking, and relevant articles is also shared through this group, making the transition from being a full time student to a full time employee much easier by giving you the tools to help you make your mark in the world professionally! 

Registration is simple and the benefits are huge! Follow these 4 easy steps to join:

1. Complete the on-line registration form! Click here to fill it out!

2. Next, review the "Getting Started" presentation to get the most out of the group and gain an understanding of the resources that can help you specifically. Click here to view it!

3. Create a Linkedin profile (if you don't already have one) and make the content reflect who you are as a professional!

4. Join the Grad LINK group on Linkedin!

Once you have registered or created your profile on Linkedin, you may be asking yourself: How can I make my profile stand out to employers and professionals? Well don't fret because we've got you covered in this department too! Check out the Online Resource Centre for some great tips on how to make your Linkedin profile stand out and feel free to come into the Career Resource Centre for a free profile review as well as access to extensive books on Linkedin and how to get the most out of your profile! Also, don't forget to check out past blog posts on Linkedin profile creation to help make this process painless! Click here to read more!

So what are you waiting for? Join Grad LINK today and take advantage of this great alumni resource! And if you have any questions or concerns about Grad LINK, send them to gradlink@brocku.ca. Thanks for reading!

Scarlet Stark
Career Assistant
Psychology Major 

Be the competition: Connect with Grad LINK!

Networking is something that is becoming more essential between new grads and employers. The hidden job market is where you will find 80% of jobs, and the key to finding them is through your network.

Career Services strives to help you find employment after graduation. With convocation just ending last week, we know that Brock grads are eager to find jobs! The Grad LINK Network on LinkedIn will connect you with Career Services staff, employers, and your graduating peers. Through the LinkedIn Network, we share career and employment related information to help you prepare for transition from school to work.

As part of the Grad LINK Network you will have access to:

• Highlighted job postings
• Employer recruitment/ networking sessions
• Career related articles and information 

Ready to register!?

1. Complete the online registration form 

www.brocku.ca/career-services/students-alumni/graduating-year/gradlink

2. Review the Getting Started Presentation

3. Create your LinkedIn profile, if you do not have one already

4. Join the Grad LINK Network group on LinkedIn

Have other questions? Email: gradlink@brocku.ca

Grad LINK

Worried that once you graduate you will be out of the loop?  Trying to find another way to view current job opportunities? Need additional career-related information? Grad LINK is the perfect solution to this problem!!!

The Grad LINK Network on LinkedIn is a great way to stay connected with Career Services staff, employers, AND your graduating peers! By joining the Grad LINK Network, you can view:

• Highlighted job postings
• Employer recruitment/networking sessions
• Career related articles and information 
• and much more...

To become a part of a growing, dynamic and informative network, follow these steps...

1. Complete the online registration form
2. Review the Getting Started Presentation
3. Create your LinkedIn profile, if you do not have one already
4. Join the Grad LINK Network group on LinkedIn

Read more about Grad LINK and LinkedIn in one of our past blog posts HERE! If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to email gradlink@brocku.ca 

 Happy Networking!!

Jami Coughler, Senior Career Assistant
4th Year Public Health (Honours)

It's That Time Again! Congrats New Grads of 2013!

Career Services would like to start off by saying congratulations to the 2013 Brock graduates! Don’t forget that if you plan on attending convocation, the application for fall 2013 is due by July 1^st. Spring 2013 convocation will take place from June 11^th to June 15^th. Be sure to check your specific faculty’s date on the Brock website.

Well, we know it has been a long journey but you have finally made it…now what? Never fear, Career Services has some great resources to help you with your post graduate decisions and planning.

1.       Career Services has a great section online called “what can I do with my degree?” In this section of the Career Services website, you will find a list of our Degree Exploration Guides. Career Services has a DEG for each program here at Brock which will provide you with a list of career options to explore, a list of the skills that you will have gained from your Brock degree, and a variety of resources which will help you access job postings and employers in your field.

2.       If you are more of a face-to-face kind of person, you can come visit us at Career Services in the learning commons of Brock University. Located here are trained Career Assistants which can provide you with additional resources to assist you in your career search.

3.       If you have decided after graduation that you aren’t ready for the work force yet, you can look into some college post-graduate programs or graduate school.

4.       If you are ready to jump into the workforce, get connected with Grad LINK. Once you sign up with Grad LINK you will have access to highlighted job postings on LinkedIn, employer recruitment and networking sessions, and career related articles and information.

5.       CareerZone is also a great job search resources with online postings that you can sift through. Or expand your horizons and search through the many online job posting websites.

6.       As a final note, don’t forget to check out our great self-assessments which can be accessed through CareerZone. For more information about self-assessments, check out my earlier blog post from May 7^th or go directly to the resource page on CareerZone.

We understand that deciding what you want to do after graduation can be daunting. Whether you are ready for the work force, or want to continue you academic career, Career Services has the resources to help you!

Nella Paris, Senior Career Assistant
Psychology Major (Honours)

7 Things All New Grads Should Know

1)    Your Level of Education is Unique in Canada
As a university graduate you have gained a level of education that most Canadian citizens haven’t achieved. As of June 2011, only 24.6% of Canadians between the ages of 25 and 64 had obtained a university degree. So be proud of your education and remember to highlight it on the top of your resume!

2)      You Can Apply for Jobs Outside of Your Field
Just because you graduated in Psychology doesn’t mean you are limited to applying for counseling positions. Allow yourself to be creative and consider the extremely valuable transferable skills that you developed throughout your degree. Consider consulting our Degree Exploration guides online to view these skills as well as occupations suggested by your faculty.

3)      Do Not Lose the Connections That You Gained During your University Studies  

      Now that you’ve graduated it’s tempting to leave your university life behind. However, the networking that you conducted during your time at Brock can continue to be valuable to you throughout your career. If you had a professor, instructor, or another staff member at Brock that you feel you gained a valuable relationship with make sure you stay in touch! Add them on LinkedIn or drop by for the occasional visit. They can prove to be an excellent reference to provide for an employer or even a friendly contact if you are ever in need of a mentor within your field.

4)      Continue Learning and Develop More Marketable Skills

       If the job you are applying for requires a university degree then you will be qualified over an applicant that hasn’t received this level of education. However, after you’ve passed this checkpoint there will be a number of other skills and experiences that each employer will require of potential employees. So my best advice to you would be to continue learning! You don’t need to go back to school, but teaching yourself new skills relevant to your industry will continue to benefit you and make it easier when job hunting. 

5)     All Your Experience is GOOD Experience! 

      So you worked at a camp for three summers but you’re not going into childcare or teaching – you just graduated from a Business Degree..?! NEVER fear! It’s easy to get caught up in the “Related Experience” section that you want to have on your resume and forget that all experience can be related, as long as you’re constructing solid achievement statements! Think about the skills you enhanced at your jobs rather than focusing too much on the job title. As a Camp Counsellor you were organized, you time-managed and you demonstrated excellent leadership – all things that an employer in the Business sector is looking for. If you’ve worked in the industry before OF COURSE that’s a plus, but if not you’ve still got what it takes, you just have to prove it!

6)     Give Employers a Taste of Your Personality

           It’s important to stay professional during an interview but it’s also extremely important to show the employer a bit of your own unique personality. Once you are hired these people are going to have to work with you so give them a reason to want to! The workplace isn’t only about getting work don’t – co-workers form friendships with each other and can work on many projects together, so it’s important that they all get along! So remember to smile and show them that you are not only a hard worker but a fun person to be around!

7)      Get Comfortable with Social Media – it’s Getting you Hired (and fired..)!
Social media is the fastest growing employer recruitment and job search strategy today –everybody is using it, it cannot be avoided. Sites like LinkedIn are designated for job search and networking, but even Twitter and Facebook can be helpful job search tools for the average job seeker so it’s important to keep all of your Social Media professional. Employers can see everything you do on there (trust us – many employers hire people to do their check-ups!) so ensure that the image you’re projecting online is a positive one. Then you can feel comfortable exercising all of the benefits to Social Media in job search today! 

*Keep an eye out for Ashley’s upcoming blog post where she will review a book called “How to Find a Job on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Myspace and Other Social Networks” for more helpful information about online and social job search!

Thanks for reading!

- Ashley and Brittany 

Grad LINK: Easing the Transition

Attention all Graduates!

We at Career Services know how difficult it can be to make that transition from student to professional. Grad LINK is a service designed to prepare YOU, the graduating or graduated student, for that transition. By registering for Grad LINK, you will be connected to various job postings, workshops, job search information, employer recruitment sessions, and much more! By registering you can also join the network through your LinkedIn account!



With GradLINK you will Learn:

• Inside tips about employers and job opportunities
• How to make those important connections with employers and other students and alumni
• How to set and achieve your career goals
• How to use and enhance your Experience Plus Transcript

GradLINK keeps you connected and informed, so why not be a part of it?


Register for Grad LINK here today!



See you there,

Brittany

Smart Finish Conference- It's Coming Soon!

Not Smart Start, nor Smart Serve...this is SMART FINISH!

A conference specifically designed for 3rd and 4th year students. A conference where you will walk away feeling refreshed, relaxed, and confident for the next chapter of your life.

Smart Finish is a one-day conference that will help take the stress and worry out of life after graduation. Featured speakers will provide you with the inside scoop on career exploration, resume and interview strategies, further education, and OSAP repayment.

 

So mark your calanders for:

Saturday February 4, 2012

8:30am-4:15pm.

Located at Brock University, Academic South.

The cost is $20 which includes lunch

Registeration is online and limited spots are available. Please go here: http://smartfinish.eventbrite.com/ to register by January 31, 2012

For detailed information, check out this link

Still have questions?
Stop by the Career Resource Center in the Learning Commons or email gradlink@brocku.ca

See you there!
Hillary

Congratulations

To all the Graduates who graduated at convocation this weekend- Career Services wants to wish you a big Congratulations!

We wish you all the best in the next chapter of your life. As you begin your careers, post-graduate studies, or enjoyment of alumni, please don't forget your Badger roots; our doors are always open.

If ever looking for assistance with job searching, resume and coverletter building, interview techniques or any other career related information- our services is always here for you.

Best of luck for today and for the future!
- Hillary & Lia, and the rest of the Career Services Team!

Get Connected- Join GradLINK

Facebook and Twitter are popular social media tools, but many times are not appropriate for employers to view. We all know what may happen on the weekend, or what you wore for Halloween, but do you really want your employer to know? Probably NOT.

LinkedIn allows you to exist in the realm of social media, however is a professional tool that showcases your skills and qualifications for employers to view. LinkedIn is a social networking site used mainly for professional relationship building. By creating a profile you will begin to network with professionals and gain helpful career advice.

GradLINK is a service designed to prepare graduating students for the transition from school to work. By joining you will be connected to job postings, employer recruitment sessions, career-related workshops, and job search information. You will also be able to join the LinkedIn GradLINK Network.

By joining GradLINK you will:

• gain knowledge on employers and different job opportunities
• build your network through relationships with other students, employers, and alumni
• gain insight on how set career goals and strategies on how to accomplish them
• enhance your Experience Plus Transcript

For more information on GradLINK or LinkedIn please visit our website at www.brocku.ca/career-services or feel free to stop by Career Services for more information. We'd be happy to help you!

I'm off to update my profile- are you?
-Hillary MacDonald

LinkedIn: A Professional Network

What happened when you Google’d yourself on Monday?

My professor once asked: if you don’t have an online presence do you really exist? Think about it…more and more companies are moving from our phone books to our browser's favourites list. I tried searching for a pizza company’s phone number the other day – it didn’t come up on Google so I opted for somewhere else. It’s not laziness…it’s convenience. So, when an employer looks at your resume and tries to find you online you want something to pop up, and that something better be professional or they’ll move on too.

Since you’ve already made your Linked In account and joined the GradLINK Network last week, I can go ahead and tell you how to make it snazzy and pro.

Give yourself a title. When the big boss searches your name you want to be associated with your specialization like: Jane Doe – 3D Animator. The user automatically knows Jane’s field and her position without even going to her profile. Go ahead and include your current/past employment with accomplishment statements following it. Just because it's online does not excuse grammatical errors or short points.

Complete every section of your profile and keep it relevant. For example, Jane may include film, video games, drawing, and fantasy novels. Now the viewer knows Jane is probably interested in working in a tv, film or game industry. It may look odd if she included 'shopping-sprees with the gals' though.

Get connected and expand your network. Join groups, ask for recommendations, and include a link to your website, twitter account or portfolio.

Finally, give your profile a friendly face and upload a professional photo of yourself.

Linked In won’t “hook you up” with a job but it will make it easier for you to find the networks that can. Subscribe to the Linked In channel on YouTube for tips on how you can benefit from this networking tool.

More resources at Career Services for you:

• How to Find a Job on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace and other Social Networks
• Job Search for Graduating Students: GradLINK

Samantha

GradLINK - Be the Competition

Now that I’ve dished out the basics on applying to ‘the real world,’ I can show you GradLINK: a service designed to assist students through their transition from school to work. This is exclusive to Brock University graduating students and recent alumni but, I encourage students of other institutions to ask your Career Centre what they have created for you - and continue reading because I may have another surprise for you.

By joining the GradLINK Network you will receive emails based on your interests (that means no junk mail!) Resources available include job postings, employer recruitment sessions, career related workshops, and a supportive network of fellow students and yours sincerely at Career Services. All you need is a Linked In account!

…Please tell me you have a Linked In account.

Alright, if you have no idea what I’m talking about, you need to get in on this fast! Linked In is a social networking tool similar to Facebook – except it’s clean, professional and essentially creates an online resume/portfolio for you. Remember our chat about networking? It pops up quite a bit. Linked In creates an environment for professionals to (re)connect with each other. So, if you go to an employer showcase you can add them to your network and keep in touch!

GradLINK Network is a group on Linked In. All you have to do is follow these steps. Make sure you complete your profile! An empty profile can make you seem bland or inexperienced. If you’re curious on how your profile can look, take a peek at mine. Once you’re a member you can add interactive widgets to showcase more of your work. For example, I’ve added a portfolio from the Behance Network to display artwork.

Anyway, whether you’re a Brock student or not – get on Linked In and make connections! And then actually use it! Linked In has great potential; in fact, over 60 million people agree! It’s like Facebook – if you don’t write to anyone, update your profile or post photos, your presence goes unnoticed. So be pro-active. Join the GradLINK Network on Linked In today!