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CAREER ADVISING
The Career Services office, also referred to as the Career Centre, is Carleton University’s one-stop shop that provides year-round career advising services to students and alumni of all programs and years of study. For the 2021-2022 academic year, one-on-one career advising services were available via virtual appointment (email, video conference, and over the phone) and in person. The Career Services staff can help students review and polish their resume, cover letter, CV, personal statement, and LinkedIn profile; practise for upcoming job interviews; learn about and prepare for grad school and professional training programs; and explore their career interests and future career paths.
Photo folder: Career Advising – Career Advising Services
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CAREER ADVISING SERVICES
For the 2021-2022 academic year, all career advising services were available via virtual appointment, as well as in person by appointment when the Career Centre gradually transitioned back to the office in August 2021.
Career Advising Sessions
Career Services conducted a total of 2,214 career advising sessions throughout the 2021-2022 academic year.
Students Served
Throughout the 2021-2022 academic year, 1,333 unique individuals attended a virtual career advising session. Of the
2,214
career advising sessions throughout the 20212022 academic year
1,333
unique individuals attended a virtual career advising session
1,242
current students attended a virtual career advising session
ACCESSIBLE CAREER TRANSITIONS
Accessible Career Transitions (ACT) is a specialized career advising program that provides highly-individualized career support to Carleton University students and alumni who identify as having a disability.
Through the ACT program, participants can book one-on-one career advising appointments with a dedicated ACT Advisor and receive regular communications about inclusive job opportunities and events. ACT Advising appointments are a chance for participants to:
Formulate key career documents, such as resumes and cover letters
Gain effective job search and interview strategies
Explore and discuss career ideas or concerns
Identify and practise articulating their transferable skills and strengths Understand how to use a strengths-based approach to request workplace accommodations and disclose their disability to employers
There were 412 ACT sessions conducted from May 1, 2021, to April 30, 2022, up from 410 the year before.
In addition to an increase in attended appointments, the ACT program’s growth also increased during the 2021-2022 academic year. The ACT program gained 130 new registrants through referrals from the Paul Menton Centre for Disabilities (PMC), the ACT to Employ program, Career Services, word of mouth, Career Services’ website, Instagram, Professors, Academic Advising, and submissions from the online ACT registration form. This brings the total number of students and alumni registered with the ACT program to 1,293; an 11% increase in new registrants compared to the previous academic year.
412
ACT sessions conducted
130
new registrants
“This was my best interview so far. I was awkward but I was still very relaxed, and I was being myself. Thank you for helping me get here, I greatly appreciate all the help you have provided me so far.”
– Student in the ACT program
Highlights from 2021-2022
Many students and grads were hired for part-time and fulltime positions, as well as ACT to Employ placements.
ACT info-shared with a number of external organizations, including Canadian Hearing Services and various departments within the federal government. This included consulting during the planning phase of Health Canada’s accessibility strategy, as well as providing feedback on a managers’ and a job seekers’ interview guide for a persons with disabilities recruitment event at Employment and
Social Development Canada.
ACT connected students and alumni with external employment agencies, including incubator13 (an accessible employment skills and entrepreneurship hub), CVE Inc., and the Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS) initiative.
ACT started an IGTV video newsletter series on Instagram.
This monthly ACT/ACT to Employ newsletter recap is hosted by the ACT Advisor. The purpose of the IGTV video newsletter series is to drive ACT students to mySuccess and the e-newsletter to increase student engagement with job postings, career related opportunities, and events.
These videos are delivered in an accessible format, including captions, a transcript, and careful use of text.
Six videos were posted and accumulated close to 2,000 impressions.
UNDECLARED ADVISING PROGRAM
The Undeclared Advising Program is a proactive career exploration initiative. This program invites students admitted into the Bachelor of Arts (BA) Undeclared Program to meet with a Career Counsellor for specialized career advising sessions. The goal of this program is to provide BA Undeclared students with an opportunity to explore their major and career options, and ultimately help them declare a major.
The Undeclared Advising Program’s success is measured by comparing how many BA Undeclared students who participated in the program declared a major by the end of winter semester to how many BA Undeclared students declared a major after not participating in the program.
Results of the 2021-2022 Undeclared Advising Program:
For the fourth year in a row, the Undeclared Advising Program has proven to be a successful initiative in helping students explore their areas of academic interest and make the decision to declare a major.
80
Total number of BA Undeclared students in 2021-2022
26
Students attended an Undeclared Advising session
54
Students who chose not to participate in the Undeclared Advising Program
11
Undeclared Advising Program participants declared a major by April 2022
12
Students out of the 54 who did not participate ended up declaring a major by April 2022
