A Series
Article #1: The AA & CC Website
Looking for resources both on campus
and online, pertaining to the topics of job search and academics may be rather
challenging. For this reason, I have compiled a list of resources that will
help students throughout their academic journey here at the University of
Toronto Scarborough. This post will be the beginning of a series that will
examine quite a number of these resources in greater detail. I will list
links to everything discussed at the end of the blog post.
I’ve always found it is easier to find
something when you know what you are looking for. In terms of career research,
it is important to have a general idea of the skills you want to develop,
career paths that interest you, and the qualities you already have that make
you suitable for this career. At the Academic Advising and Career Centre,
there is a useful online tool called the Online Self Assessment.
Online Self-Assessment (ONSA)
This tool lets you choose your best qualities and skills, as opposed
to a questionnaire that evaluates your skills based on your answers. It allows
you to reflect on what skills are important to you, and whether or not you need
to further develop these skills. It takes about twenty minutes to complete, and
upon completion, it generates a comprehensive report that shows your skills,
best personal qualities, work interests, and values. You can make an
appointment at the Academic Advising and Career Centre to discuss your
results with a career counselor also.
Now that you have some idea of the type of career you want to pursue
or what fields of work you are interested in, you can research this further
using the other resources available to students.
This website is an excellent resource for students who are looking for jobs or trying to improve their
study skills. As the name implies, there are two main aspects of this website:
Academic
Trying to study smarter? The AA &CC offers peer coaching. Bring
your course materials to AC321 Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 12pm –
2pm receive assistance with time management, effective note taking, and other
study skills. For one-on-one help, make sure you visit the Career Learning
Network at www.cln.utoronto.ca, and book an appointment one week in advance.
Career
This section provides a variety of resources that can help students
with research regarding employment. The “What Can I do With My Degree?” page lists potential jobs by program, skills relevant to the job,
and has external links for further research. When you come across job titles
that are appealing to you, you will start to get a better sense of what you
want to do in the future.
For information about resumes, cover
letters, and interviews, there are helpful pages on the AA &CC website. You can also sign
up for the Resume Blitz on Career Learning Network, where you will have a 15-20
minute consultation with staff to improve your resume. These sessions take
place in September, January and May. Be sure to have a printed copy of your
resume.
Tip Sheets are also an important resource. There are tip sheets for a variety of
academic and career related subjects. For example, there is an interesting one
on procrastination, attributing the reason students procrastinate to fear of
success. There is also a tip sheet on government work opportunities, which
thoroughly explains the types of jobs available at the municipal, provincial,
and federal branches of government.
Good luck on your midterms!
Angelin
Links to pages discussed in blog post:
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