“Job Shadowing” During a Pandemic

By Wendy Szeto, Employment Engagement Coordinator - EL

COVID-19 has brought change and adjustment, and for many, a time for reflection. As students think deeply about their career interests – skills, interests, and values – they are identifying areas of occupational preference and fit. What we know as “job shadowing” has been helpful in connecting students with the opportunity to gain insight into different industries and roles, and making positive connections. 

Graduate School Preparation

Graduate School Preparation 

In the midst of midterms and assignments, deadlines for graduate schools are approaching and it can be easy to forget the little things. To ensure you're completing your application,here are a few tips to help you keep track:

Review/Preparation: Double check that you meet the admission requirements (GPA, courses, non-academic requirements, etc.) for your program. In addition, review application deadlines and the required documents (resume, personal statement, etc.). Attend information sessions hosted by the institutions to get an idea of what the atmosphere is like. Contact the institution's Admissions Office to clarify any questions. 

The following will provide you with additional information about supporting documents and admission tests that may be required: 

Curriculum Vitae: A curriculum vitae is a profile of relevant experiences that highlight your academic accomplishments. Possible experiences to list are research, scholarly publications and work experiences.

To view more information about the Curriculum Vitae, please visit the following links:

• Curriculum Vitae Tip sheet

• Sample CV + CV tips

Personal Statement: A personal statement is a supplementary essay that answers an open-ended question: Why you should be the chosen applicant for this program. When writing your statement, talk about your relevant experiences such as research or extra curriculars related to the chosen program. Additionally, provide justification about how your intended program will help your career goals. Personalize your essay by providing specific examples about your relevant experiences and demonstrate how they relate to the qualifications. Be concise and proof read your essay (Streufert,2012). 

To get your personal statement reviewed, book an appointment or drop-in with: Career staff or Graduate peer (self-booking through CLN):

To learn more about our drop-in services, please visit: Academic Advising and Career Centre Drop-in services

To book an appointment with a Graduate Peer: CLNx > Appointments > Book UTSC Peer Appointments Type > AA&CC Peers - Grad School 

To view more information about Personal statements, please visit the following links:

• Personal Statement Tip-sheet
• Berkeley Personal Statement Tip-sheet

Letters of Recommendation: A letter of recommendation is written by a supervisor, professor, or previous employer regarding your work/academic performance or skill sets. Most graduate schools ask for a minimum of 2-3 references, so make sure to ask well in advance and choose potential referees that can speak to your abilities (Doyle, 2018).

Admission Tests: An assessment tool used to measure the necessary competencies for a particular field (medicine,business, law) (GoGrad, 2018). These tests are used towards your admission evaluation. Here are a list of common admission tests: 

• Law School Admission Test (LSAT): A test designed to measure the skills necessary to get through law school. The test consists of 5 sections that will evaluate your critical reading, verbal reasoning and analytical thinking(Lauryn,2017).

To view more information about the LSAT, please visit the following links: 

• LSAT
• Registration Information 
• Graduate Management Admission Test(GMAT): To assess the candidate's necessary skills for business school. The test consists of assessing verbal, written and mathematical skills (Bridgestock, 2018). 

To view more information about the GMAT, please visit the following links:

• GMAT
• Registration Information
• Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT): To assess the candidate's necessary skills for medical school. The test consists of five sections including Physical and Biological Sciences, Math,Verbal reasoning and Psychological foundations (PrincetonReview, N/A). 

To view more information about the MCAT, please visit the following links:

• MCAT
• Registration Information

Submission: complete and submit your applications. Use this time to research financial aid options for graduate schools via OSAP, grants and bursaries.

To view more information about scholarships, grants,and bursaries, please visit the following links:

• Queen Elizabeth Scholarship
• OGS
• Grants, scholarships and bursaries for Canadian Students
• Yonic - Scholarship and Community

Additional Notes:

Degree Explorer: Before you request your official transcript, use tools such as Degree Explorer to ensure that you're on the right path to graduate. Note: deadline to confirm your intent of graduation is Nov 16,2018 - Feb 18, 2019 for June 2019 convocation. 

Transcripts: Request an official copy of your transcript through the Registrar's Office. Login to ACORN and click "order transcripts" under the Academics tab. Pick up your transcript from the Registrar's Office (pick-up days are Tuesdays and Thursdays after 3 pm). There is a $12 service fee to order a transcript.

If you find yourself in a situation where you're not sure what career/program path to pursue: self-assessment tools such as the Online Self Assessment or Myers-Briggs Type Indicator are great starting tools to help you understand your personal skills, interests and values. You can sit one-one with a Career- Counsellor and discuss your options.

For more information on assessments, please visit the following link: 
Assesments

Events: 

Exploring Grad School: Chat with peers - Got graduate/professional school questions? Meet up with fellow students for an informal chat with one of the AA&CC's new Professional and Graduate School Peer Coaches and a Career Staff to ask questions and share your thoughts/feelings about the grad school selection (or not) and application processes. 
DATES: NOV 06,08, 13, 15,22,27,29

More information regarding Chat with Peers can be found on: Career Learning Network

It's understandable that applying for graduate school on top of finishing school can get over-whelming and stressful, so in order to reduce the stressful process, start your application in advance! Make sure you're clear with all the expectations. Complete your supporting documents (resume, curriculum vitae, etc.) in advance and have them looked over. Get other documents such as transcripts and letters of recommendation.Finally, take advantage of on campus 
resources such as tipsheets, drop-ins/ appointments (staff/peers) with the Academic Advising and Career Centre.

For further clarification, don't hesitate to contact our office either by phone:416-287-7561 or by visiting us in person in AC213.


Best of luck,

Nivetha Pandi
Career Assistant 

References: 

Bridgestock,L. (2018, August 07). Graduate Tests at a Glance: GMAT, GRE, LSAT, TOFEL & IELTS. Retrieved from: https://www.topuniversities.com/student-info/admissions-advice/graduate-admissions-tests-glance-gmat-gre-lsat-toefl-ielts 

Doyle,A. (2018, Oct 30). Reference Letter Sample for Graduate School From A Manager. Retrieved from: https://www.thebalancecareers.com/reference-letter-sample-for-graduate-school-2062936

Kuther,T. (2017, August 04). Applying to Graduate School: What you need to know. Retrieved from: https://www.thoughtco.com/parts-of-the-grad-school-application-1685868

N/A, Lauryn. (2017,November 29). An overview of the LSAT Test Structure and Content. Retrieved from: https://www.petersons.com/blog/an-overview-of-the-lsat-test-structure-and-content/

Struefert,B (2012, Oct 12). 10 Tips for writing a grad school personal statement. Retrieved from: https://www.usatoday.com/story/college/2012/10/12/10-tips-for-writing-a-grad-school-personal-statement/37398231/

 
Theprincetonreview. (n/a). MCAT Section: What's on the MCAT?. Retrieved from: https://www.princetonreview.com/medical/mcat-sections

Mastering Midterms

By Troyee

Midterms are undoubtedly stressful for many of us! The cramming of information while attending to other assignments and lectures is tough. In order to better prepare for your midterms, here are some suggestions:

We GOTCHA: Ace Finals with AA&CC

By Serena, Academic Assistant (Work Study student)

Hello my fellow students:
Final exam schedules are up!
https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/registrar/examination-schedule
Are you ready for exams?
Are you concerned about your exam preparation?
Are you worried about your academic performance?
Here comes AA&CC to help you ace your finals:
https://www.utsc.utoronto.ca/aacc/test-preparation

In this blog, I will provide 3 big steps that you can take to succeed.

What’s New with LinkedIn

By Hilary Sehring, Search Marketing Specialist - Careers | LinkedIn Talent Solutions

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional networking site, with over 530 million members. Dive into some of the biggest tools you may have missed from this platform.