Grow your Network!

It is important to start growing your network during your time at Brock to strengthen your connections with professionals. Networking is a great way to explore career paths and discover potential opportunities. 

Create your LinkedIn Profile 

To get started on your networking journey, you will want to first create your LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn is a professional platform that can be used to build your profile, find jobs, strengthen professional relationships, and connect with various individuals to help you navigate your career journey. For a more extensive guide on how to create your LinkedIn profile and making connections please visit the Social Media & Branding section on the CareerZone portal (careerzone.brocku.ca). Additionally, in our physical CareerZone space we have a professional headshot booth available for all students to take their LinkedIn profile picture to kickstart their networking journey! 

 

Start With Who You Know

 

Now that you have activated your LinkedIn profile, it is time to start growing your network. Reaching out to strangers can be intimidating, so we recommend to start connecting with who you know. Send connection requests to your friends, family, co-workers, professors, TAs, and peers to build your network.

Connect with Alumni

 

To further grow your network, LinkedIn has an excellent feature that allows you to connect with Brock University alumni to learn from their experiences and ask your career/program related questions. To access this feature, go to Brock University’s LinkedIn page and select the Alumni tab from the menu on the left. Then use the search function or click on filters to narrow down profiles of interest. It is very important that you send an introduction message along with your connection requests on LinkedIn. Doing so generates a conversation because your personalized message should explain who you are and WHY you want to connect with that particular person. 

 

Another great networking platform is Ten Thousand Coffees. This program virtually connects students to Brock alumni based on their career goals and interests. This is advantageous for students to ask questions about their industry of interest and learn from personal experiences.  To get started please visit Brock University’s Ten Thousand Coffees at (https://www.tenthousandcoffees.com/schools/brocku).

Connect with us virtually and in-person this summer! 

 

If you have any questions related to networking, please do not hesitate to reach out to our Summer Career Assistant team! Our in-person drop-in hours are Tuesday to Thursday from 10-4 pm. If you are unable to visit us in-person, feel free to email us at career@brocku.ca. In addition, visit the CareerZone events calendar to view our drop-in Virtual Q&A sessions and Café workshops. Happy networking! 

 

Follow Us Our Social Media to Stay Up-to-Date With All our Upcoming Events and Workshops! 

Twitter: @BrockCareerZone 

Instagram: @brockcareerzone  

  

Written by Brieanna Wannack, Lead Career Assistant

Edited by Kara Renaud, Manager of Career Education, CCEE Department 

Navigating the Post-Graduation Job Hunt: Tips for New Graduates

Job searching after graduation can be a time-consuming and tiring process. This summer, CareerZone is here to help you make that process faster and easier with some useful tips and steps.

Step 1: Give yourself enough time to prepare for Job Search

As a recent graduate, looking for a job in the real world can be stressful. Prior to beginning your work search, it is important to understand who you are, your interests, values, and skills. We encourage students to start by reviewing the Degree Exploration Guides for their program. The guide can help you identify skills and potential career pathways for their degree. This is helpful to craft your application documents (resume, cover letter). Connect with us for a document review in Caree Zone by emailing career@brocku.ca or drop-in to see us Monday through Friday between 10a.m. and 4 p.m.

https://www.flaticon.com/free-icon/preparation_2644373

Step 2: Market yourself by leveraging your Social Media, LinkedIn and Network.

Utilize Linkedin and 10 Thousand Coffees to find opportunities to discover and connect with professionals who are in the same field as you. This could include alumni, current students, leaders, professors and teaching assistants. In addition to LinkedIn, utilize other social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for your job search. Furthermore, it is essential to combine them with standard methods like networking, going to career fairs, and contacting employers directly. Make sure to check out our Quick Tips on New Grad job search on your CareerZone student portal. 

https://www.flaticon.com/search?word=networking

Steps 3: Finding Opportunities

Using keywords to help you focus on target industries will help you conduct an effective job search. It is also important to network with professionals on platforms like Ten Thousand Coffees and LinkedIn and expand connections. For information on how to conduct career conversations through informational interviews and communicate your goals through elevator pitching, check out the CareerZone resources in your student portal. Opportunities can be found on the CareerZone Job Board, where many of the postings are directed toward recently graduated students. Additionally, we suggest that you use community resources such as, Talent Egg to kick-start your career. Also, access your degree exploration guide to find additional job boards to review.

https://www.flaticon.com/search?word=job%20search

Connect With Us!

We are here to support you, so don’t be afraid to ask for help! We offer many student resources on our portal (careerzone.brocku.ca) and can be contacted via email at career@brocku.ca to answer any inquiries you may have. 

Follow Us Our Social Media to Stay Up-to-Date With All our Upcoming Events and Workshops!

Twitter: @BrockCareerZone

Instagram: @brockcareerzone 

Written by Chelsa Sunil, Career Assistant

Edited by Kara Renaud, Manager of Career Education, CCEE Department

How CareerZone Can Help You This Summer

As the weather starts getting warmer, CareerZone is excited to assist you this summer! We are offering many services to support you in understanding your skills, job search, preparing for an interview, discovering your career goals, building your network, and more. 

How can we help you?

This summer we are offering both in-person and virtual services. We have in-person drop-in hours Monday to Friday from 10 am - 4 pm. Come stop by our physical CareerZone space to ask questions, use our headshot booth, and have your job application documents reviewed! 

In addition, throughout the spring terms, CareerZone Cafe workshops will be held every Tuesday (in-person) and Thursday (virtual via MS Teams) from 12-1 pm. Virtual Q&As will also be offered every Wednesday from 1-2 pm via MS Teams. 

Here at CareerZone, we encourage students to have their resume and cover letter reviewed in order to stand out to employers. Need help? Our Career Assistants can guide you through the document review process. Email a Microsoft Word version of your resume and cover letter to career@brocku.ca and we will provide you with feedback. You can also stop by CareerZone on-campus during our drop-in hours to have your application documents reviewed in-person. 

We also encourage students during this time to explore their CareerZone portal. Here, you can gain access to a plethora of resources all about effective job search strategies, finding graduate opportunities, cover letter and resume writing, volunteer opportunities, going abroad, and more. Also available through the CareerZone portal are career assessments like Career Cruising and TypeFocus to help you identify your interests and personality to help with career exploration. Platforms, such as Interviewing.com, can also be found on your portal and help prepare you for an upcoming interview. Additionally, you can book appointments with our Talent Development Specialist for one-on-one conversations regarding career advising, job search strategies, and mock interviews. To access your CareerZone portal go to careerzone.brocku.ca and sign in with your student credentials. 

As always, if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us by email (career@brocku.ca). We look forward to helping you and having a great summer!

 

Connect With Us! 

We are here to support you, so don’t be afraid to ask for help! We offer many student resources on our portal (careerzone.brocku.ca) and can be contacted via email at career@brocku.ca to answer any inquiries you may have.  

 

Follow Us Our Social Media to Stay Up-to-Date With All our Upcoming Events and Workshops! 

Twitter: @BrockCareerZone 

Instagram: @brockcareerzone  

  

Written by Brieanna Wannack, Lead Career Assistant

Edited by Kara Renaud, Manager of Career Education, CCEE Department 

Get to Know your Summer 2023 Career Assistants!

Introducing our Career Assistants who are here to help you this summer to guide you through the next steps of your career journey, review your job application documents and answer any questions you may have! Meet Chelsa and Brieanna:

Chelsa Sunil

Hello there! My name is Chelsa Sunil. 

I will be entering my fourth-year studies in the Medical Sciences program at Brock this upcoming fall. My future goal is to play a prime role in the healthcare system and improve the quality of life for the children of the future generation as well as the senior citizens. 

I enjoy playing badminton and hiking with friends in my free time during the summer. As a summer career assistant, I am hoping to be a guide to students who have questions related to their career and help reach their passions. 

Brieanna Wannack

My name is Brieanna, and I am very excited to be working as a Career Assistant throughout the spring and summer term!    

 

I just finished my fourth year of the Concurrent Education program here at Brock and will be starting Teacher Education in the fall! My teachable subjects are English and History, so one day I hope to be a high school teacher. Overall, I have a passion for helping children of all ages achieve their goals. Outside of university, I enjoy skating, nature, and binge watching my favourite TV shows.   

   

As I enter my final few months of my role as a Career Assistant, I am looking forward to helping my fellow Brock students follow their career passions and answer any questions that they may have!

Our Weekly Services 

We have in-person drop-in hours Monday to Friday from 10am-4 pm. Come stop by our physical CareerZone space to ask questions, use our headshot booth, and have your job application documents reviewed! 

Throughout the spring term, CareerZone Cafe workshops will be held every Tuesday (in-person) and Thursday (virtual via MS Teams) from 12-1 pm. Virtual Q&As will also be offered every Wednesday from 1-2 pm via MS Teams. 

Connect With Us! 

We are here to support you, so don’t be afraid to ask for help! We offer many student resources on our portal (careerzone.brocku.ca) and can be contacted via email at career@brocku.ca to answer any inquiries you may have.  

 

Follow Us Our Social Media to Stay Up-to-Date With All our Upcoming Events and Workshops! 

Twitter: @BrockCareerZone 

Instagram: @brockcareerzone  

  

Written by Brieanna Wannack and Chelsa Sunil, Career Assistants

Edited by Kara Renaud, Manager of Career Education, CCEE Department 

This is not Goodbye, Just Farewell for Now!

 As we come to the end of another academic year, we want to extend our gratitude to members of our Senior Career Assistant team who are graduating and moving on to new opportunities. Thank you all for your hard work and contributions during your time spent. Good luck with all your new adventures! 

 

Angelina Shtramel 

(Honours Bachelor of Business Administration, Conc. Accounting, 4th Year) 

My name is Angelina, and in the past two years I was lucky to be a part of the amazing team at CareerZone. As I am graduating this year with a degree in Business Administration, I want to reflect on the wonderful experience I had working as a Goodman Career Assistant and a Senior Goodman Career Assistant. 

One of the best rewards of this job is knowing that people genuinely find our services useful. Providing customer service to so many people has allowed me to feel that I am a part of a huge community. This job has also opened new job opportunities for me to explore in the HR field which I never considered before. The Career Assistant role has equipped me with essential experience and transferable skills, which I will carry with me as I am entering the professional field. 

I am grateful to all the amazing people in CareerZone for this journey and the great memories! I also wish the new team a wonderful time and an ongoing success in the future! 

 

 

Kwasi Duah 

(Honours BA in Psychology, minor in Child & Youth Studies, 4th Year) 

My name is Kwasi and I'm entering my final weeks as a Senior Career Assistant. I'm very excited to be graduating in a few weeks with my Bachelor of Psychology in the Research Stream. I have thoroughly enjoyed being a Senior Career Assistant over the past 2022-2023 school year! It has been a rewarding role to be able help others in areas which have initially been a challenge for me. Being able to assist students with their career development proved to be one of the most rewarding experiences of my undergraduate career. When I first started my role, I was a bit nervous about what the position would mean, but over time I was able to gain the confidence to further develop my skills and abilities. 

I believe the future of CareerZone will be in good hands with the next generation of students. I encourage the new Career Assistants to step into their leadership positions to develop their skillset on both a personal and professional level. The next steps of my journey involve doing academic research, with the goal of eventually getting into Medical School. I want to thank CareerZone and my managers for their support and guidance throughout my 2 years with CCEE. 

 

 

Megan Vlahiotis 

(Honours BA in Psychology, minor in Child & Youth Studies, 4th Year) 

Hi, my name is Megan Vlahiotis, and as the school year wraps up, I just want to take a moment to reflect on my journey as a Career Assistant. I have enjoyed my time working here, and the experiences I have gained will stay with me both professionally and personally! I sincerely thank and appreciate all those who I have worked with, and my supervisors for their dedication and commitment towards my growth.  

I am excited to announce that I will be working as a Program Coordinator at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto. I’m looking forward to coordinating the online and in-person sexual health and rehabilitation clinic which offers accessible sexual health resources for prostate cancer patients.  

 
 

Brieanna Wannack 

(Concurrent Education, Intermediate Senior Program, 4th Year) 

My name is Brieanna and my time as a Career Assistant over the last three years has been very rewarding. I am grateful for the opportunity to work in a team as great as this one and am sad the year has come to an end. Being a Lead Career Assistant has taught me valuable lessons and has allowed me to strengthen many skills, especially in leadership. I plan on using the skills I have gained from my role as I enter the Teacher Education program here at Brock in September!   

 

Connect With Us! 

We are here to support you, so don’t be afraid to ask for help! We offer many student resources on our portal (careerzone.brocku.ca) and can be contacted via email at career@brocku.ca to answer your questions.  

 

Follow us on our Social Media to stay up to date on our events and workshops! 

Twitter: @BrockCareerZone 

Instagram: @brockcareerzone  

  

Written by Megan Vlahiotis, Career Assistant and Blog Manager 

Edited by Kara Renaud, Manager of Career Education, CCEE Department