How Your University Can Kick-start Your Career

By Joe Issid
Monster contributing writer

For many, graduating university can be a confusing time; the excitement of having completed your post-secondary studies is somewhat mitigated by the anxiety of having to find a job and enter the “real world”. Many young graduates find this to be an especially difficult transition.

As a student and young graduate, it never occurred to me to reach out to my university as a resource to help me kick-start my career. Most Canadian universities have dedicated career services programs that are specifically geared towards helping young and recent alumni establish themselves in the job market. But, the truth is that these programs are often overlooked, underutilized and often carry a bad rap. Are these programs perfect and can they assure all applicants’ success? No, nothing is. But can they provide a tremendous framework within which you can build up your network and job seeking profile?

Absolutely!

First thing’s first: don’t miss the boat
Many students don’t realize that their university has an established career services program. “You have young grads that leave their institutions not having used the career planning services on campus and they only realize that these services are available after they have aged out,” says Temi AkinAina, Associate Director of Alumni Engagement at Concordia University in Montreal. “Graduates are simply unaware of these resources.” Depending on the institution, these services may be available for only a few years following graduation. As such, it behooves all graduating students and newly graduated alumni to research what programs are available and for how long they may eligible to use them.

Develop job search skills
In the Canadian sphere, universities are, admittedly, not especially geared towards helping you find a specific job but rather help you prepare for the process of searching for a job. On-campus career services programs usually provide job search services rather than direct industry recruiting. This means that you are more likely to learn how to create a successful resume or learn some valuable interviewing skills than you are to be set up for a major job interview. While this may not sound like a terribly robust service, most graduates should, nevertheless, according to AkinAina, take advantage of them: “Many graduates enter the job market fairly inexpertly. It is like dating when you’re desperate. It’s just not good for anyone involved.” The simple fact is most young graduates lack the very basic skills of looking for work and learning how to network. A good campus program will help establish these skills.

Work experience
Many fresh graduates often find themselves stuck in a vicious Catch-22: how to gain experience to get jobs that require experience? AkinAina offers one possible solution that can introduce students into the workforce: “More and more universities are offering co-op programs or exchange services. I think it is really important for people to take advantage of these while you’re a student. It gives the chance to work and study at the same time and it teaches you how to prioritize work. It speaks more to how these skills can translate into the job market.” Having this level of experience will help any candidate make a much more eloquent case for themselves when sitting in front of a hiring manager.

Mentorship
Most universities have a myriad of mentorship programs, which can be instrumental in helping students make contacts and learn from established industry professionals. AkinAina suggests that students should start from a small base and work outwards: “See if your department has a mentorship program. If not, check with your faculty. If not, then check with Career Services.” You shouldn’t have to go too far to find a program that may fit your needs. Programs can range from the hyper niche to the most generic. The key is finding a program that can help introduce you to the types of networks that will be of value to you in the long run.

The simple truth, according to AkinAina, is that career services are like gyms: they are vastly under-attended by those who are eligible to use them. Any student or young graduate should certainly take the time to research what services their institution has to offer and begin formulating a plan moving forward. Canadian institutions are full of enormous potential to assist.