It's not Goodbye, It's See You Later...

As the 2015-2016 school year comes to end, we here at Career Services would like to dedicate a special blog post to the student staff who will not be returning to work with us in the upcoming year.

The Career Assistants who worked with us over the past few years have made a vital impact on the growth and success of the Career Services department, and we want to say thanks!

Alysha Kooter

Alysha has recently completed her fourth year in the Concurrent Education program. Her friendly smile and enthusiasm towards her role has made her an exceptional addition to the Career Services family. She is always willing to help out whenever needed, and go above and beyond our expectations. Not to mention, there is no one better to go to for great vegan recipes! After three years of working in the Centre, Alysha will be moving on to attend teachers college in the Fall of 2016 at Brock! We wish her all the best in her future endeavors.



Anthony Mancuso

We're sad to see this great individual leave us, but we know he will go on to accomplish great things! After four years working towards his Sport Management degree, Anthony will be going on to work for the Hamilton Tiger Cats as part of the SPMA Internship program! He started with us back in September of 2013 and is a great person to look to for advice. More importantly, who will set up our fantasy hockey leagues now?!?! All jokes aside, we can't wait to see the many great things he will be accomplishing. Best of luck Anthony!


Sarah Mithcinson

If there is one thing you can expect to see when you walk into the Centre, it will likely be Sarah sitting at the front desk with a great attitude, welcoming you in. Sarah has been with us for two years now and is finishing up her degree in Psychology. She will be continuing her studies with her MA in psychology at Wilfrid Laurier University in the Fall of 2016. We wish her the best as she completes her Masters!




Mike Pratas

Venturing from Hamilton every time he has a shift, there is no better way to show how amazing Career Services is than by looking at Mike's dedication to us! Mike has recently completed his Degree in Political Science, and will be continuing school at Brock as he was recently accepted into the Masters of Political Science program, no surprise there! Mike has been with us for three years and it has been a great pleasure working with him.He is the go-to person if you ever need to know a statistic about the Career World, and we are going to miss him and his extensive knowledge in the Centre. Best of luck to Mike and we are sure he will do great things!






Kaitlyn Daw

Kaitlyn, the Queen of Communication! We don't know what we'll do without her. Her experience, wisdom, and positive attitude is going to be greatly missed within the Career Services department. Kaitlyn has worked with us for two years, and interestingly enough, she was actually transferred to another position within the department when help was needed. She has just completed her final year in the English, Language and Literature program. No surprise here, Kaitlyn will be working in communications with the Canadian Mental Health Association. We are so proud of her and appreciate her being such a great ambassador for Career Services.


Overall, we are very proud of our Career Services team and all that they have accomplished! Getting to know this group of people on both a personal and professional level has been an absolute pleasure. We are so happy that we've had the opportunity to work with them, and their presence in the Centre will be greatly missed.

Love,

The Career Services Family

Advice From a Retiring Career Assistant

I’m done. In just over a week I will be working my last shift in the Career Resource Centre. Over the past three years I have reviewed hundreds of career documents, helped many students, alumni and community members with their job search and worked on many career related projects. For my last blog post I thought I would reflect on my time in the Centre and compile some of my tips for university students looking for work.

Be Unique and Get Involved!

I can’t overstate this enough. When you graduate, you will have the same qualifications as everyone else in your graduating class, what makes you stand out from them? Why should an employer hire you over everyone else? Your non-academic experiences (work & volunteer experience and extra-curricular involvement) make you unique and can all be included in your career documents. The more involved you are, the more experiences you can draw upon when making a resume or answering interview questions. 

Update Your Career Documents

Resumes/cover letters are an employer’s first impression of you; make them professional. I have seen many qualified candidates come into the Centre with disorganized and outdated resumes. You are not doing yourself any favours if you are using a resume you made in grade 10 careers class to apply for jobs. Don’t list outdated experiences in your resume; you can probably take out the summer job you had in the summer of grade 10. Similarly, put some effort into tailoring a cover letter for each job you apply for. We have a lot of resources in the Centre and in our Online Resource Centre on CareerZone to help you in making professional career documents.

Keep it Relevant

Just because you know all about Persian food, doesn’t mean you need to write that in your resume. Resumes are skill profiles; you need to prove to an employer (through your experiences) that you have all the skills listed in the job description. Therefore, your resume should be tailored to each job you are applying for.

Consider What Kind of Work is Fulfilling to You

Don’t start your job search with job titles in mind. Think about fields, industries and sectors you are interested in working in. For instance, if you are interested in helping people and working in law enforcement, consider other careers beyond being a front line police officer. Other opportunities you may want to consider include border services agent, parole or probation officer, investigator, 911 operator, court clerk and correctional officer. Expand your job search by thinking broadly about what you want to do.

Have questions? Stop by and see us in the Resource Centre Monday-Friday during regular business hours or email us career@brocku.ca.

Have a great summer,

Mike Pratas, Graduating Political Science Major

Lead Career Assistant 

Embrace the Chaos

Embrace the Chaos

                For some people, finding a career path can be as easy as finding what they want to do, and then getting right in. For most people, this may not be the case. Imagine dropping a ping pong ball in a dark room. We don’t know where the ball will land, but we can use mathematical formulas to pinpoint where the ball may land. A process like this can be a metaphor for the easier way of finding a career. Now imagine dropping the ping pong ball into Times Square, New York. Where the ping pong ball lands is unpredictable, which is similar to the way the career finding process will be for many.

                There are methods to navigate this madness. One method is to identify what cluster of jobs may work for you such as working with people. Using this example, there are many skills such as communication a person can develop which is transferable inside of the service industry.  Another method is to know that help is there when you need it. The Career Resource center at Brock University have people who are there to act as a guide to show you various resources that can help you navigate the Career Field.  

Often times, what can help an individual with the Career decision-making process are a series of chain reactions. An example of this is obtaining skills that would help towards a cluster of jobs, then finding employment into a career you never seen yourself in, and then developing in that section. Embrace the unexpected. Know those things may not go as planned, and roll with it. Make a series of small choices that will help influence the larger picture. Lastly, look at things in the big picture. Looking at things in a microscope can make things overwhelming. Take a step into overseeing the whole scheme of things and see how a domino effect can happening by making a choice. We would be honoured if we got to be a part of that process. 

http://www.careeroptionsmagazine.com/articles/applying-chaos-theory-to-career-development/

Tyler Harris 

Sr. Career Assistant

Interview Success

We all know interviews can be overwhelming and intimidating; here are a few tips to worry less about interviews and obtain employment. The day before the interview leave yourself enough time to look over the job posting, do research on the company, and take 5 minutes to reflect on each job you have had and experiences you could potentially use. Take advantage of Career Services and book a Mock Interview, which provides excellent practice by virtue of a simulated interview, or go on Interview Stream and answer interview questions and listen to your responses. This is a great way to refresh yourself on the job you’re applying to as well as previous experiences you have had. 

In addition I write down my top 3 strengths and weaknesses with a statement on how I am improving the 3 weaknesses. In my experience I have been asked to identify my strengths and weaknesses, therefore when the question arises I am able to quickly and confidently answer. I also like to write down the most important skills for the position because it reminds me which skills to highlight and discuss in more detail. By following these tips you can fight the nervousness of interviews and improve your chances of employment by being confident and communicating effectively. 

André St-George

Career Assistant

BBA Co-op

We're Hiring!

Brock Universities Career Resource Centre is looking to hire 4 motivated students to become Career Assistants! Not only is this position perfect for anyone, it gives an individual a competitive edge when they graduate and enter the field of work. 

The Career Assistant’s primary responsibilities include:
 

• Assisting students with career exploration and job search information
• Referring students to the resources and services offered by Career Services and other Campus Services
• Demonstrating professionalism by providing exceptional customer service to visitors in the Career Resource Centre
• Utilizing active listening skills to respond to student inquiries and advise students appropriately
• Providing constructive feedback on job search documents such as resumes, CV’s, cover letters, letters of intent, LinkedIn profiles and portfolios.
• Participating in a variety of team projects and events such as Newsletters, Career Fairs and other initiatives
• Actively sharing ideas and contributing to team discussions at weekly staff meetings
• Performing administrative tasks and maintaining daily statistics as required
• Ensuring the Career Resource Centre maintains a neat, organized and professional appearance; keeping resources stocked and up-to-date
• All other duties as assigned

The deadline for application is quickly approaching! By March 18th, be sure to have your resume and Cover Letter handed in to CareerZone.brocku.ca!  

Best of luck to anyone who is applying! 

----------

Tyler Harris

Career Assistant 

The Search is on for Summer Jobs!

The warm weather is quickly approaching and we're all getting ready for that dreadful search- the search for summer employment. Here at Career Services, we do our best to make your summer job search as effective and pain-free as possible. Here are a few tips: 

How to Find the Perfect Summer Job

The key to finding the perfect summer job is remembering that it might not currently exist. As important as it is to look for positions that align with your personal goals and passions, remember that gaining valuable experience comes in many different ways! Rather than looking strictly for a job within your field of study, focus on finding a position that interests you- even if it doesn't necessarily fit into your "perfect job" category. Many skills are transferable and can be used in various roles, so instead of asking yourself what type of job you want, ask yourself what kind of problems you would like to solve or what skills you'd like to gain. 

Where to Look

Go to Careerzone (careerzone.brocku.ca) to take a look at positions that are available on and off campus. Many on-campus summer jobs have the potential to extend into part-time positions in the school year.  Here are a few on-campus services that you could apply to this summer:

• Brock Dining Services
• Brock University Students' Union (B.U.S.U)  
• Brock Human Resources
• Recreation Services
• Student Life and Community Experience

Off-campus jobs also have their benefits, here are some general job search sites that can help you land a position within the Niagara Region:

• http://www.jobbank.gc.ca
• http://www.jobgym.com
• http://www.indeed.ca
• http://www.wowjobs.ca
• http://talentegg.ca 

When to Look

Don't wait, start now! One of the biggest misconceptions students have regarding summer job searching is that they have to wait until the summer to start. Many employers prefer to begin their hiring process months in advance. You can find summer job postings as early as January! Start your process now and make your chances of getting summer employment higher. 

How to Prepare 

Preparing for your job search can seem difficult at times. Drop by the Career Resource Centre or email us at Career@brocku.ca for interview tips and job search strategies to help you land a summer job that you enjoy!




Lydia Collins
Senior Career Assistant

Resume Reviews & Why You Should Get One!

Getting your resume reviewed is crucial in today's competitive job market. A second set of eyes never hurts and can also help with figuring out whether or not your resume is appropriate for the job you are applying for. However, many neglect this step in the resume editing process. Why? Because many of us don't have the time! Job hunting can take hours and writing personalized cover letters and tailoring your resume can be a job within itself! Luckily, most post secondary institutions (including Brock!!) offer review services to make sure your documents are looking good before you start applying to different positions. Here are THREE reasons you should utilize resume review services:

1. Subjectivity 
When we as individuals are working on and editing our resumes, we often times overlook obvious errors simply because we are being subjective. Perhaps we might even avoid being too hard on ourselves since the job market is hard enough sometimes! But this subjectivity can lead to missing things which could make or break the strength of an application! Spelling errors, typos and alignment are the three most common errors made when creating resumes. Getting a quick review can help prevent a small mistake from costing you the job of your dreams.

2. Content
Many of us have the standard categories in our resumes: Work Experience, Volunteer Experience & Education. However, there are many other categories which can be utilized! Getting your resume reviewed may open your eyes to new headings you can utilize to highlight your experiences! For example, having a "Special Skills" section is a great way to highlight language and technical skills. 

3. Opportunities
If you are working on your resume right now, chances are it is because you are looking for paid or volunteer opportunities. By getting your resume reviewed, you can not only ensure you are representing your skills and experiences in the best way possible, but you can also find out about opportunities through simply visiting a career centre! Our Career Assistant team at Brock is super knowledgeable about current and upcoming opportunities and we love helping students find that perfect position that suits their unique needs!

So what are you waiting for? Look up your nearest career resource centre and get your resume reviewed today! And for all Brock students, getting a resume review is MUCH easier than you think! Simply bring a hard copy of your resume (or cover letter or CV!) to the Career Resource Centre in the Learning Commons and we can review it in roughly 15-20 minutes! We are also FULL of information about job hunting, interviews, career events and much more! Check out our website by clicking HERE. Also, don't forget to follow us on social media:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/brockcareerserv/
Twitter: twitter.com/BrockCareerServ
Instagram: www.instagram.com/brockcareerserv/?hl=en

Have a great day!

Scarlet Stark
Sr. Career Assistant
Psychology Major 

Succeed at Career Events!

The On-Campus Jobs Fair recently wrapped up at Brock and it was a huge success! In light of this event, I thought a blog on how to prepare in order to succeed at career events might be a great way to help guide students for future career events on campus and elsewhere.

Prepping before the event to do well during the event is necessary to succeed! In order to prepare yourself, keep these 6 factors in mind:

1. Do your research!Find out which employers will be at the event and check out their website! This will help you tailor your documents as well as give you an opportunity to come up with questions you may have about the company that you can ask at the event!
2. Review the opportunities!Many employers post the positions they are looking to fill prior to the career event itself. Check these out! See which positions speak to your knowledge and skills! Again, this will help you tailor your documents and allow you to go into the event with focus!
3. Define your KSA's!Knowing your Knowledge, Skills & Abilities allows you sell yourself to employers! Figuring out what you have to offer employers prior to the event will help you sell yourself to employers during the event! It will also help you develop your elevator pitch!
4. Develop an elevator pitch!It's important to be able to describe yourself, your skills and where your headed career-wise briefly and concisely! Jot down what you want to tell employers about yourself and how you want to be remembered by them and practice this pitch! This will allow you to introduce yourself to employers in an efficient manner, while still highlighting who you are and what your goals are!
5. Bring your documents! And ask for documents!Go to the event equipped with resumes & business cards! And make sure to grab any information sheets or business cards from the employers/recruiters! They are handing this information out for a reason, typically to inform you of the company and how to get in touch with them! You may want to bring a briefcase or professional looking bag to store your documents in too!
6. Dress the part!
Dress professionally! If you are unsure how to go about this, it wouldn't hurt to use your friend Google to look up the company and see what employees typically wear to their career events or on the job! See the photo to the right for help with this!

Thanks for reading! Come visit us at the Career Resource Centre for any questions/concerns you may have regarding career events! We are always happy to help!

Have an excellent day!

Scarlet Stark
Sr. Career Assistant
Psychology Major 

Tailoring Your Resume: Why You Need To Do This

Templates are the absolute evil of the career world. There is nothing more bland, boring, and discouraging than a resume that has clearly been taken from a template and not customized at all for the job the applicant is applying for. Luckily for you, you have stumbled upon our blog and can get help to make sure that your resume's are actually being read by employers and taken seriously. Here are some tips about tailoring your resume.

1. Employers will notice
Having hired students before, both here at Career Services and for my own business a few years ago, It is very easy to see when the applicant has put forth a reasonable amount of effort to tailor their resume. Simple things like how recent their employment dates are, what their achievement statements are saying, what skills they are addressing... it all adds up. Take the time, they will notice!


2. Sticking to the template is both good and bad
Templates help you understand the basic structure and formatting of a resume. By no means are they a bad thing altogether, but rather if you stick to them 100% of the time. Feel free to add some of your own style to it, while keeping it professional (a great way to do this is by customizing your information on the top of the page, adding a border, either centering or left-centering your headings, etc).


3. Job qualifications: make sure you address them
One major disadvantage of using a general resume is that you do not always address all of the job qualifications that the employer is looking for. In other words, even if the employers are in the same industry (i.e., retail), they will be looking for different qualities and qualifications in their employees. If you tailor your resume to those qualifications, you will get more interviews guaranteed.


4. Don't forget about the cover letters...
This article is mainly about resumes', but let's not forget about the other half of the application. Cover letters are even more important to tailor, as if you forget to change the direction of the cover letter for each employer they may not look past it to your resume. A lot of the time, the employer will state directly on the job application what kind of employee they are looking for as well as their values and missions. Address these specifically in each cover letter! Taking the extra 10 minutes to do this will make a world of difference.


5. If you think you should be hired, show it!
The best part about tailoring your resume is that it gives you the best opportunity to show the employer that you are the best applicant. After all, the applicant who will spend the extra time to customize their resume and cover letter will likely spend the extra time to make sure they do the best job possible for the employer.
_____________________________________________________________________________

If you think you need any help trying to customize your resume and cover letter, just remember these tips. If you need a little more guidance or would like someone to edit your documents, drop by the career resource centre at Brock University and we can help you portray your best you.

Anthony Mancuso
4th Year Honours Bachelor of Sport Management
Lead Career Assistant

What Can I Do With My Degree?

“So you want to be a lawyer or the Prime Minister?” This is often the comment I get from people when I tell them I am a political science major. As someone who works in a Career Services department and who has no interest in entering politics or law this is an incredibly frustrating statement. For those of us in the social sciences and humanities, we and society in general often minimize our job prospects to the handful of well-known careers in our respective fields. For instance, those in psychology may believe that they can only be psychologists. Those in history may believe they can only be historians, archaeologists, or archivists. Those in English may believe they are on a path to becoming authors. For those like me in political science, we often assume our degree will lead to a life of long hours, travel and scandal as politicians or as a lawyer. 

We seem too focused on jobs that incorporate the knowledge we gain in our degrees. This may be the case for those in other faculties and science/math based programs. For instance, most students in the Faculty of Education want to become teachers, while many people in the nursing program have ambitions to become nurses or healthcare providers. However, for those of us in the social sciences and humanities, our job prospects are not as cut and dry and for many of us, we have no idea what we want to do after we graduate. Adding to this frustration of seeing those in other programs know what they want to do, the countless “studies” and articles written about degree career prospects all show that we as social science and humanities students are doomed to be unemployed after graduation and suffer a lifetime of under-employment. What is the purpose then of our degree? Did we waste all our money and time? Short answer - NO!

A popular question we get as Career Assistants in the Resource Centre is “what can I do with my degree?” To this I often ask if they know who Martin Dempsey is. Dempsey is a US General and former Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff reporting to the Secretary of Defence and the US President. As one of the highest ranking military officials in the United States, Dempsey holds a Master’s degree in Literature from Duke University where he wrote a thesis on Irish literature. Dempsey serves as a great example of someone who had a meaningful and successful career outside the "traditional jobs" English majors occupy. Like Dempsey, we must look beyond the information we learn throughout our degree and look more broadly at how we learn and engage with course material in order to better understand a) the skills we can bring to an employer and b) the endless job possibilities available to us. 

Instead of knowledge, those of us in social sciences and humanities should focus on transferable skills. Organization, teamwork, communication and leadership are all transferable skills that we gain throughout our undergraduate degree and are invaluable in any workplace. We gain these broad transferable skills by attending lecture and recording notes, preparing and presenting in seminars, researching and writing papers, and so on. Aside from these broad transferable skills your program may focus on more specific transferable skills. A full list of degree specific skills can be found on our degree exploration guides. By thinking outside the "traditional jobs" of our fields and focusing on the transferable skills we gain throughout our degree, those of us in the social sciences and humanities will find that a diverse selection of jobs and industries are available to us. While jobs directly related to our degree may be hard to come by, our degrees give us the skills we need to succeed in other job categories. 

Don’t be tied down to the restrictive list of traditional jobs for your field, think outside the box and DO NOT give too much weight to the studies that underestimate your degrees worth. Every degree and graduate is unique and can bring something to an employer. Stop by the Career Resource Centre in the Learning Commons and let us help you realize your degree’s value and job prospects. 

Mike Pratas
4th Year Political Science Major
Lead Career Assistant 

Summer Jobs

S: Start Early

U: Umm isn’t an option, start your engines... literally, there are so many job search engines for your viewing

M: Meet with people that help you become the best version of yourself! Like career services (shameless promotion)

M: Make use of your free time at the beginning of the semester and search!

E: Everyone wants to start late. But most of the jobs are posted early. Make sense? Not even a little, but that the reality!

R: Rule the world! When you start now, you can be picky over what jobs to apply for! There may be a job that is perfect for you! You won’t get this luxury later in the year.

J: Journal the progress of your job hunting so you can keep track of your progress

O: OH MY GOODNESS HELP! These moments is natural, trust me, I have them on the daily. That’s why there are resources like our Career Resource Centre along with other amazing facilities like the YMCA that is there for you. So don’t be afraid to reach out!

B: Boost up your resume and supporting documents all the time. This can be done by tailoring your documents through each job individually. We have some great tips readily available for you!

S: Stay positive! Control what you can, and let go of the things you can’t.

This was our fun way at saying, you have to start early! It’s amazing how early jobs are posted, so begin your summer process as soon as you can. Now, let’s chat with just the two of us on this. I really want you to get the position of your dreams. But what would that look like? Just imagine it… Seriously, take a few moments and just reflect, I’ll wait right here.

Welcome back. So think about the steps you need to do in order to achieve that dream goal. I can guarantee that people are going to need relevant experience and that is the beauty of having a summer job!

Happy searching, and all of the very best in your applications! 

Tyler Harris & Anthony Mancuso

Career Assistant's

Seasonal Jobs & Potential Permanent Positions

It's December and seasonal employment positions seem to be everywhere! Many retail stores are on the hunt in order to find the perfect seasonal employees to help them survive the most wonderful - yet most busy - time of the year. For many, seasonal positions are ideal. It's a chance to get some extra hours over the holidays when money can get tight. But for others, seasonal jobs just don't fit the bill. Perhaps something more permanent is what they had in mind.

If you are hesitant about your seasonal employment opportunity because of a lack of permanency, have no fear! I have come up with a few tips to turn your seasonal employment opportunity into a possible permanent position.

To Infinity & Beyond
Try and view your seasonal position as a permanent one. And if you are interested in a more permanent position within the company, be sure to express this to superiors right from the get-go! It's easy to act indifferent if you think you'll be out of a job in a matter of weeks so try and think beyond the word "seasonal". View the position as one with infinite potential rather than limited potential!

Presence & Productivity
Being present and productive are key when it comes to seasonal opportunities. Being present includes being on time and being aware of what is going on around you. By being present and aware, you will see opportunities for productivity. Use these opportunities to your advantage to not only show that you are a hard-working, capable, and valuable employee, but also to highlight that you have initiative and you are not afraid to use it!

Following & Leading
At any new job, we must shadow more seasoned employees and ask questions in order to learn more about our position. But once comfortable, flex those leadership skills! Take on a project or ask your superiors for opportunities to take on new tasks or be the leader for a particular initiative. Never be afraid to ask for leadership opportunities within your position - it shows that you are not afraid of a challenge which is something all employers love to see in their employees!

If you find out your seasonal position will end soon even after you've done all that you can to make it permanent, keep the below tip in mind:

It's Not You - It's Me...
Remember that many employers might not have the means to keep you given their budget or number of allowable employees after the holiday season ends. But don't take it personally! In that case, it's not that you weren't a good employee, it's simply that they don't have the room for an additional employee. This is by no means a reason to burn bridges and is not necessarily a jab against your skill set or abilities! Always leave seasonal opportunities on a good note because you really never know when an opportunity within the company might come up again. And if you are interested in these opportunities, communicate this to your superiors so they can contact you as opportunities become available.

As always, be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date with our resources!

Happy Holidays everyone! 

Scarlet Stark
Sr. Career Assistant
Psychology Major 

Holiday Hours

It's the most wonderful time of year again! We hope everyone has a great exam period and enjoys their time at home over the holidays. The Career Resource Centre and Career Services will be open over the holidays for students to take advantage of while they aren't as busy as they are during the semester. Take advantage and come see us for resume reviews, summer job search, or any other career questions! Our hours are as follows:

The Career Resource Centre:

December 1st to 23rd: 9:00am-4:30pm

December 24th: 9:00am-12pm

Career Services (ST 119):

December 1st to 23rd: 8:30am-4:30pm

December 24th: 8:30am-12pm

With the exception of:

Wednesday, December 16th: Closing at 1:30pm

Friday December 18th: Closing at 12pm

Note: Both are CLOSED December 24th (12pm) to January 3rd

Happy Holidays! 

From all the staff at Career Services :) 

Creating a Personal Brand on Social Media

Social media can be a great tool for individuals looking for employment no matter what position they are currently in. Websites such as LinkedIn have been developed as a professional social network, however, people may be surprised to hear that Facebook and Twitter can also be used to find employment. Marketing on social media can sometimes be hard, especially for the younger generations where it is a habit to use these sites for personal reasons. Here are some tips to find a job on social media:

1. LinkedIn: One of the good things about LinkedIn is that there is no page limit. This means individuals can add all things they find relevant and avoids the process of eliminating some experiences. It also means you can include as many recommendations from colleagues or previous employers to expand on your descriptions of your experiences. You can also include all of your relevant work experience and skills you've developed. Finally, make sure you are active, make meaningful connections and join relevant groups. Engagement shows employers your dedication and enthusiasm for the job search.

2. Twitter: Your Twitter bio should outline your general interests, your current position and the field you are working in. If you are actively seeking a job make sure to follow companies you are interested in and influential users in your field. Finally, use hashtags, retweets and favorites to get noticed by professionals! Just make sure they are relevant and appropriate.

3. Facebook: Work on making your profile professional rather than personal. Begin by untagging or deleting any content that you think is inappropriate and make your profile as private as possible (aside from your employment history, location and professional skills and interests). Look for groups that focus on issues you are interested in and that other professionals in your field making it easier to network. Sometimes you may find job postings in these groups!

In general, make sure to create your own online personal brand. This can help you identify what makes you different and unique about you compared to everyone else. Using keywords can help employers who are searching for specific skills find you online. Finally, don't use inappropriate words or statements! This will weaken your personal brand and make you stand out in the wrong way to employers.

Career Services at Brock University has tons of resources on social networking for career success including books, handouts and magazines!

Sarah Mitchinson
Senior Career Assistant

Navigating CareerZONE

CareerZONE is a campus resource that provides you with access to a variety of career and job search tools, and will help you connect and prepare for the world of work. From job postings, resume templates and online workshops CareerZONE is a Brock student’s one stop shop for everything career related!

First, go to careerzone.brocku.ca and click the student login tab along the top. Your login information is the same as your student portal (one less password to remember!).

Once you login you will have access to a variety of resources including …

1. Job Postings

The CareerZONE job posting board has a variety of domestic and international summer jobs, volunteer opportunities, on-campus jobs, internships and full time jobs listed. Updated on a regular basis and not customized to any specific program, Brock students in all disciplines will find something that interests them on our job board.

 2. Career Services Events Calendar

Throughout the year our department hosts a variety of career and job fairs, further education events, workshops and employer recruitment events. This calendar is being updated as new events are announced so check back often and don’t miss out on some amazing opportunities!  

3. Online Resource Centre

Many of our resources in the Career Resource Centre can be found here. It is divided into different sections to make it easier for you to navigate the variety of resources available.  Some sections include:

Career & Job Search -> This section includes resources on general job search sites and interview tips, using LinkedIn and social media for your job search, Niagara Region employment and volunteer agencies and a link to the directory of Careers and Employment in Canada among others.

Career Assessments -> Links to Career Cruising, Typefocus and Talentoday career assessments are listed in this section. To find out more about these assessments check out our previous blog posts on Career Cruising and Typefocus. 

Cover Letters, Resumes, CVs & Letters of Intent -> This section includes everything from checklists, templates and examples for all common career documents. We even have sample resume’s for every program at Brock!  

Interviews -> Resources include handouts on informational interviews and general interview tips along with a link to Interview Stream, an online tool which helps you prepare for an interview by providing feedback and tips on non-verbal behavior and communication missteps.

Further Education -> All of our “Considering Grad School” information series handouts are listed in this section including resources on teachers college, law school, med school and social work.

Going Abroad -> Everything you need to know about international internships, teaching opportunities, exchanges, working and volunteering abroad can be found in this section. A link to Going Global, a country-specific career and employment database containing more the 30,000 pages of information is also included in this section.

Resources for Teacher Candidates -> Resources on applying to school boards, teaching specific cover letters and resumes and teaching interviews are all included in this section

4. Workshops

Online workshops are available on a variety of topics including cover letters, resumes, portfolios, CVs and even basics of interviewing! All workshops completed can be tracked on experienceplus.

As you can see CareerZONE is full of a variety of amazing resources to help Brock students in their job search. We hope you find the information and resources your looking for and encourage you to visit us in the Career Resource Centre if you any questions or would like more information on any and all things career related!

Mike Pratas
4th year Political Science Major
Lead Career Assistant 

(Instagram)@brockcareerserv

(Twitter)    @brockcareerserv

(Facebook) @brockcareerserv 

#ItAllAddsUp

Next week the #ItAllAddsUp campaign will start here at Brock. The It All Adds Up campaign encourages students to figure out how they are making their university experience all add up to the career of their dreams in order to inspire other students to pursue their goals with everything they've got! As students, we all know classes, assignments, and grades are very important as far as our overall career goals. But there are many other things that we are doing as students outside of the classroom as well that truly make a huge impact on achieving our career goals and personal aspirations. Essentially, everything we are doing is all adding up!!

From volunteering to going abroad for a semester, to attending campus events or workshops, there are SO many ways students at Brock and other universities can add to their skills gained from their degrees! If you happen to be a Brock student, utilizing Experience BU to stay on top of upcoming events, workshops, and on-campus happenings will allow you to not miss out on the experiences that matter the most to you! And on top of this, we even have a way to track how you are making your experiences all add up through the Experience Plus Co-Curricular Transcript!

So now it's your turn to tell us how YOU are making it all add up by visiting our booths around campus next week:

Booth Times/Locations
November 2 - Computer Commons - 9-11
November 3 - Computer Commons - 1-3
November 4 - MC A Hallway - 9-11
November 5 - Computer Commons - 9 - 2
November 6 - MC A Hallway - 9-11

Can't make it to any of these booth times? No problem! This campaign is also accessible for students to participate in virtually! Take a picture of yourself showing how you are making it all add up and use the hashtag #ItAllAddsUp and #BrockU on social media (Instagram/Twitter/Facebook) to inspire fellow Brock students and students from other universities across Canada to get involved and pursue their goals with passion and integrity! Click here to check out the It All Adds Up website for even more details on this campaign!

Oh - one last request:

Don't forget to like us on Facebook & follow us on Twitter and Instagram! By clicking these hyperlinks, your only a few steps away from connecting with us and there's nothing that excites us more!

Have a great day everyone!

Scarlet Stark
Sr. Career Assistant
Psychology Major 

Thank You

This post is all about saying thanks! We began the Brock Career Services blog June 2011 and later we were lucky enough to be recognized in 2012 as one of the top 10 college and universities campus career blogs. Our success is all thanks to the 344,739 individuals who have stopped by our page and gave us a follow, commented or just stopped by to read our posts. We cannot thank you all enough for making this possible. Right from the bottom our career hearts, thank you.

As a result of our success and popularity, we have been making more posts on our Instagram (@brockcareerserv), Twitter (@brockcareerserv) and our Facebook page (@brockcareerserv). On these platforms we post about upcoming events, job application tips, internships, volunteering and much more! It would mean the world to us if everyone who loves our blog would share the love on our other social media platforms as well. We are looking to spread career knowledge with as many people we can.

Thank you so much again, and our team will continue working to improve blog and social media presence as well as helping out Brock University students, community members, and faculty.

Thank you (had to say it one more time)

Tyler Harris

Senior Career Assistant

(Instagram)@brockcareerserv

(Twitter)    @brockcareerserv

(Facebook) @brockcareerserv

Top 5 Benefits of Creating a 'Master Resume'

A 'Master Resume' is a document that allows you to put every single career-related experience you can put on a resume onto a master document. The reason for doing this is to have everything you have ever done on a single document that includes a detailed explanation of the skills you developed during each experience; you are not limited by any page limit or word count and have the ability to put as many bullet points as possible for each experience. Creating a 'Master Resume' is a daunting task for anyone, but it is worthwhile and highly rewarding. Here are the top 5 benefits of creating a 'Master Resume'.

1. Allows you to quickly, and better tailor your resume for each job application

Job applications typically list a set of skills and experiences that they want their 'ideal' candidate to have. Sometimes it is easy to say that you have that skill, but actually listing everywhere where you have demonstrated that skills is crucial. With a 'Master Resume' you can have multiple bullet points for each position identifying different skills for each experience, so you can better identify your qualifications. It also allows for a much easier 'copy and paste' experience when tailoring your resume for each experience, as you can pick individual bullet points for each position to better address their qualifications.

2. Prepares you well for any job interview

Doing a full analysis of your skills and experiences prepares you well for almost any question, helps to answer the most dreaded and likely question of "tell me about yourself," and more importantly gives you confidence in your abilities. Instead of being caught off-guard when they ask you about your strengths and weaknesses, you can tackle that question knowing the full breadth of your skills and experiences.

3. A self-assessment in its own right

More of a soft benefit, a 'Master Resume' is a self-assessment in its own right. It puts everything in perspective in terms of what you have done, the skills and experiences you have gained, and your career pathway of start to present. It also better answers the question of 'what is your personal brand' as it allows you to begin to understand exactly what your personal brand is and how to further your brand. I'd encourage you to read our blog post about personal branding here and the importance of knowing yourself here.

4. Identifies gaps in skills and experiences

As much as it identifies skills, it also identifies gaps in skills and weaknesses - a perfect opportunity for you to fill those gaps! Knowing exactly what you have done will also tell you what you have not done, and you can then address those gaps and better yourself before that big job interview. 

5. It will help you create a better LinkedIn profile

LinkedIn in a lot of ways is like an online portfolio that identifies all of your relevant skills and experiences. Having a full in-depth knowledge of all your skills and experiences will help you create a better LinkedIn profile. You can have better SEO (search engine optimization) by identifying skills and experiences on your LinkedIn that you may not include on every resume you send out. Think of your 'Master Resume' as your LinkedIn profile template.

Anthony Mancuso

4th Year Honours Bachelor of Sport Management

Lead Career Assistant 

Career Cruising – the kick start to your career development!

After working at Career Services for a few years, I know how important it is to start your career development with assessment. Self-exploration and assessment are critical first steps in finding the right career for you. Although we have a lot of great self-assessment resources for students at Career Services, I want to focus today on one of my favourites, Career Cruising.

Career Cruising is an online assessment tool that anyone can use to help them find some direction. When a student comes in and says that they don’t know which careers they should be considering, I know they are still in the assessment stage of career planning. There are so many helpful resources that Career Cruising offers within their online site. Below I have taken apart the different categories that the Matchmaker Assessment has. If you complete the Matchmaker Assessment you will be able to see all of these categories for each career result from the assessment.

At a Glance: This section gives you a brief description of what this job is, summarizing all the information in the further categories.

Suitable for You?: This section displays (based on the questions you answered) why it came up in your Matchmaker results. You can see why and why not this career would suit you.

Job Description: This section holds an in depth explanation of what this job is. If you are seriously considering that career, reading all of this will be very helpful.

Working Conditions: This section is important to look at so you can recognize what the working conditions are for the career you are investigating. For example it will talk about the hazards of positions, times that you work, etc.

Earnings: This section tells you how much you will make as salary according to Canadian stats.

Education: This section is very important to note so you can see if you are on the right educational track. In this section you can browse different schools throughout Canada that offer programs that would coincide with that specific career.

Sample Career Path: In this section you will see a lifetime career sample. Most careers are broken down into Beginner, Intermediate and Senior levels so you can see how your income and role will develop over time.

Related Careers: This section holds a list of other careers that relate to the one you are looking at.

Other Resources: This section has a list of other resources you can explore that go beyond the information on Career Cruising. These are great ways to learn more about careers.

My last bit of advice is to explore, explore, explore! Also, don’t be afraid to take the assessment more than once, we are constantly changing individuals. This website offers so much information for people on their career journey. You can access Career Cruising by going to careerzone.brocku.ca and signing in with your Brock student username and password. 

Alysha-Lynn Kooter

Lead Career Assisant

4th Year Intermediate/Senior Concurrent Education - Visual Arts Major

Track Your Experiences!

Now that we are a few weeks into school, I'm sure many of you have had the opportunity to attend a campus event or activity, sign up for a club, or maybe you've started volunteering already! But did you know you can track these experiences too?

Well the secret is out! You totally can track your experiences! And not just in one way, but TWO ways!

Want more details? Then keep reading!

Experience Plus is Brock's co-curricular transcript program and the first of it's kind here at Brock! Not only can you track your experiences (which include on-campus jobs, volunteer hours, awards/certificates, professional development and workshops), but you can also earn a certificate for your volunteer hours through Volunteer Plus (for more info, click here), as well as get your official transcript printed which includes ALL of the experiences you've inputted that are verified. To get started, head to my.brocku.ca/portal/ then go to the Student Self Serve menu. The tab on the left that says "Career Services" is where you would go to track your experiences (under "Student Data") and request your transcript to be printed. The transcript can be presented to employers to highlight your involvement and is also a great addition to a career portfolio!

Experience BU is Brock's student involvement portal and is the best place to find out about upcoming events and activities happening around campus and within the region as a whole. And not only does Experience BU provide you with event details and local happenings, you can also track your experiences through the Campus Wide Co-Curriculum which encompasses different facets of experiences, from Arts & Culture to Career Prep (which we can help you with!).  Click here to explore the different curricula you can complete, as well as events and activities which you can track on your Co-Curricular transcript!

Now that you are in the "know" of how to track all that you do here at Brock, why not get started! If you would like our help with anything, please stop by the Career Resource Centre and speak with one of our student staff! We are all trained on how to use both Experience Plus and Experience BU and can help you navigate these platforms successfully!

Have a great day Badgers!

Scarlet Stark
Sr. Career Assistant
Psychology Major