Navigating Uncertainty Within Your Future Career Path!

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If you ever find yourself feeling overwhelmed about where your schooling will take you next, I assure you that you are not the only one feeling this way.  It's quite a usual feeling that almost every undergraduate student faces at one point during the span of their degree. 

If you ever find yourself under similar circumstances, I'm here to tell you that it's really not the end of the world.  To help find solutions to virtually all academic and career related inquiries, come by our office and have a chat in AC213!

AA&CC has many services targeted at students in similar situations, so definitely do take advantage of all the resources we provide.

Today's blog will introduce you to resources AA&CC provides targeted at students who may be unsure of where their undergraduate degree will take them, career wise.  Perhaps you have a career in mind, but are confused about the direction or pathway you need to undertake in order to achieve it,  or maybe you are not even sure of which career path to pursue at all.  These are all valuable concerns our centre can help solve for you.  So definitely take advantage!

SELF ASSESSMENT INVENTORIES:

careerassessmentsite.com

MBTI & Career Development: "Myers-Briggs Type Indicator" is a personality inventory which can assist you in various areas including your preferred communication style and working environments.  This is based on Carl Jung's theory of psychological type.  This report can assist you in determining the link between your personality type and how it affects career exploration.  Furthermore, it aids in providing details with regards to occupations pertaining to your reported personality type.

Procedure: You'll need to first book an "inquiry" appointment with a Career Councellor, which can also be done during our walk-in service.  Following the initial debrief, you'll take the test on your own time.  After the test has been taken, you can book a follow-up appointment with a Career Councellor to discuss the results. 

NOTE: There is a $25.00 fee to cover the cost of the MBTI Career Report.

head4success.com

Strong Interest Inventory & Career Development: This inventory helps match a combination of interests, education, and leisure activities in order to identify career options.  Additional assessments indicating your preference in areas as leadership and teamwork are areas of focus also.

Procedure: Same as above.  

NOTE: There is also a fee of $15.00 associated with the report you will receive. 

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EMPLOYMENT WORKSHOPS

Networking To Find Work: 
Tuesday February 11, 2014 
2:00PM to 3:30PM 
Location: AA321
Attend this workshop to learn more about networking and be prepared to gain hands-on experience using networking skills. 

Work Search Strategies
Tuesday February 18, 2014 
10:00AM to 11:30AM
Location: AA160
Discover alternative job search strategies and resources that can help you generate and follow-up on  leads for jobs you really want.

Discover Your Skills and Career Options
Tuesday February 18, 2014
12:00PM to 02:00PM
Location: AA160
This workshop will introduce you to information in relation to realistic career options, degree specific.

Keep in mind these are just a few of the many workshops being held.  To see a complete listing of all upcoming workshops,Visit: AA&CC Calendar.  

To sign up, visit: Career Learning Network
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Tipsheets:

The Value of a Degree

What can I do with my degree?


As I always mention, browse through our website:  Academic Advising & Career Centre and take utmost advantage of all the valuable information provided.

Keep in mind, the resources that I have discussed within my blog are only a few of the many many resources we have available to you!  However, the only way to find out what's missing, is to come by and visit!

Furthermore, you can also book an appointment with either an Academic Advisor or a Career Councellor depending on your area of concern.  They are qualified experts who can help you with all that you need to ensure your journey here at UTSC is worth it.

Looking forward to meeting you in person!

Good luck and Best Wishes,
Priya Antony

Contact us:  UTSC Academic Advising & Career Centre

Choose Your Program

                Choosing your program is both a daunting and exciting task, if I could say it myself. I still remember as it were yesterday, the agony of having to read through each program listed in the calendar to figure out which program could actually be the 'one' for me. The task became exciting once I started looking into myself to identify what I would like to study. I figured that studying what I would like to study would not just help me get good grades but feel overall satisfaction in terms of my school and university experiences. I wanted a program that could also directly or indirectly help me with my future career and employment goals.

                 There are multiple strategies one could employ while thinking about their program of study. While one could think about the career of their interest and track their way back to an undergraduate degree, a program could also be picked for a reason as simple as the desire to learn more in depth about a particular field. While it is not true that once a student picks a program they cannot change it, the student needs to be aware about the implications on this change on their anticipated graduating year.  

                 During the quest of choosing a program, there is a high chance that you might come across programs that you don't know a lot about. It might be that you do have a vague idea of what program entails and you feel like a little more information could be useful. In such cases, you are welcome to contact the department in question and explain your dilemma, asking for further information. In my experience departments are happy to answer such questions and some even go a step ahead to book an appointment with you to discuss this further.
         
                 Understanding the difficulty students face while picking their program of study, Academic Advising & Career Centre offers wonderful tipsheets that could further help you choose a program. These tipsheets are available for students both in our center as well as on our website. A couple tipsheets that you might find helpful are:

       a) Choosing Your Program and
       b) Is the Program for Me?

 This by no means is an exhaustive list of tipsheets that might interest you, and feel free to browse through our tipsheets to read through the ones you find relevant to your needs and wants.

             Apart from this, AA&CC also runs a wonderful month-long event in March called 'Choose Your Program Month' wherein program supervisors are invited to speak about their programs and answer questions on a one-on-one basis. Although questions about majors and programs are always welcome at AA&CC, a lot of workshops and events in the month of March are specifically designed to help students pick their program of study. The following tipsheet about Preparing for the Program Information Fair could also help you come up with questions you would want to ask to different program supervisors.

Good Luck picking your program!
     

Broaden Your Horizons with Opportunities Abroad!

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Looking for a change of pace and a new atmosphere? Why not take advantage of what the world has to offer and go abroad! "Going abroad" and getting international experience are definite advantages for students who are looking to elevate their individual profiles, whether to gain valuable work experience, volunteer or study.

International opportunities are a great way for undergraduate, graduate or recently graduated students to develop personal, educational and cultural understanding. Think about it; life experience is something that all employers, graduate or professional schools take into consideration when deciding whether or not to take on a candidate. How amazing would it be to stand apart from the pack by talking about your volunteer or work experience in a different country, maybe even a different continent?!

What’s more is that being exposed to different work or volunteer environments can help you hone your skills which would be helpful in the future to write on your resume. Adaptability and flexibility are skills that employers are always looking for. International opportunities will expose you to the new types of environments that would foster these kinds of skills. Time abroad may also help open your mind to the possibility of different careers or industries that perhaps are not as well known in Canada but that are booming in other countries.

For more information about going abroad, come to the International Opportunities Fair on Wednesday February 5^th in the Meeting Place at the University of Toronto at Scarborough! 

All the best,
Souraiya

Disappointed with first semester? Get back on track!

www.unlockingthegrowth.com 

Happy New Year UTSC!

It's the beginning of the year, which also means a time for a fresh new start. First semester grades should have all come in by now, and for some of you this may mean good news, and for others not so much. However, I'm here to tell you that it's really not the end of the world if first semester didn't turn out the way you wanted it to.  In fact, all it means is that, it's now your chance to "bounce back!"                

The first step to "rebound back" is to identify what really went wrong in first semester. Was it a lack of interest in a particular subject? Procrastination? Perhaps you were dealing with something personal. 

Whatever the reason may be, take responsibility, and move on.  Instead of dwelling, use this as a motivating factor to do your best this semester! 

This blog will introduce you to the resources available on campus and provide you with what's happening at our centre which will be to your benefit also. To succeed this semester, make sure you use the following resources to your maximum benefit. 

First and foremost: The following resources are being provided by our centre:

Midterm Preparation Workshop: January 28, 2014
Time: 12.00pm-1.00pm
Location: IC318

Book an appointment with a study skills peer: Study Skills Peer Coaching

Sign up by visiting the Career Learning Network (CLN) https://cln.utoronto.ca

Please take some time to read through this tip-sheet and follow through also:

8 Steps to Academic Success

Additional resources available on campus that you may or may not be aware of:

The Writing Centre: If you have an upcoming assignment and need help through the process, the Writing Centre is committed to providing individual feedback on a one on one basis. This works on both a drop in and an appointment basis. They are located in AC210 opposite the library.  Visit their website for more information and gain access to valuable student resources also.  

English Language Development Centre:  This centre aids in developing English language communication skills and critical thinking. They hold various events including workshops, seminars, and cafes all throughout the year.  These details are listed in their calendar of events section on their website.  Browse through, and make sure you attend.  This website will also provide you with additional student resources. 

Math & Statistics Learning Centre: If you are struggling or wish to deepen your understanding in any area of mathematics or statistics, visit the Math & Stats Help Centre (AC312). Their particular hours are listed on their website. Furthermore, the Math Aid Room (IC404) also provides assistance for those enrolled in specifically MATA32F & MATA32Y. Visit their website for more information.  

Facilitated Study Groups: These are study sessions which occur on a weekly basis instructed by a student who has previously excelled in the course itself.  This resource is therefore course specific.  Attendance is absolutely voluntary. The schedule is available on their website. Make sure you attend.

I've highlighted just a few of the many resources available on campus.  Visit: http://ctl.utsc.utoronto.ca/home/ for further updates.

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As I always mention, if you feel that you are still struggling, come by and talk to us in person in AC213 or simply book an appointment.

For more information visit our homepage, and you are welcome to access all of our services: Academic Advising & Career Centre.

Good luck this semester! I guarantee you that you will ace this semester, if you make use of all of these resources! Don't fret about first semester! Keep going!

Best wishes,
Priya