5 minute read
Career Events
Career Services and Co-operative Education hosted many virtual and in-person recruitment, outreach, and skill development events throughout the 2022-2023 academic year. These events were designed to help students explore their interests, increase their career-readiness, learn about jobs and organizations in their fields, and connect with employers and recruiters so they can begin building their professional networks.
Career Fairs
Advertisement
Career Services held three virtual career fairs throughout the 2022-2023 academic year. The Fall, Winter, and Spring Career Fairs were offered in October, January, and March, respectively. These virtual career fairs were hosted using Brazen, an online event platform.
Virtual Fall Career Fair
Number of Organizations in Attendance:
76 Number of Students in Attendance
1,566
Virtual Winter Career Fair
Number of Organizations in Attendance:
76
Virtual Spring Career Fair
Number of Organizations in Attendance:
69
There were an additional 43 companies that attended a career fair in the 2022-2023 academic year compared to the previous academic year, an increase of 23%. The most popular organizations, by number of chats completed, were Canada Revenue Agency, Ericsson, and Cisco Systems. The 2022-2023 virtual career fairs generated a combined total of $92,500 in revenue
Total Employer-Student Conversations:
5,218
Number of Students in Attendance:
1,523
Number of Students in Attendance:
1,186
Most Visited Booth: Canada Revenue Agency (chats completed)
258
Total Employer-Student Conversations:
4,880
Total Employer-Student Conversations:
3,744
Most Visited Booth: Ericsson (chats completed)
226
Most Visited Booth: Cisco Systems (chats completed)
214
Faculty Requests
Over the course of the academic year, Career Services is often asked by instructors, professors, on-campus departments, and student groups to deliver in-class workshops and/or career presentations. As students often look to faculty, student support services staff, and student leaders for career guidance and employment advice, these workshops (also referred to as Faculty Requests) are a key opportunity for Career Services to build relationships with individual faculty members, student support services departments, and student groups to collaborate and support the career development needs of students.
In line with the Employability Framework, these workshops and presentations equip students to recognize the skills gained in the classroom, to identify the opportunities available to them outside of the classroom, and to make connections to their skill development so they are better able to articulate their skills when seeking employment upon graduation.
The Career Services team delivered a total of 195 Faculty Request workshops throughout the 2022-2023 academic year. This is a growth of 40% compared to last year.
“I am thrilled with the support that [the team at] Career Services [has] provided to my students. They are always willing to think outside the box (and to rein me back in when necessary) to create an exceptional learning environment in which students can understand their developing career competencies from the term-long community engagement project. Students have gained facility and confidence in seeing their transferrable skills and being able to express those skills in terms attractive to prospective employers.”
– Dr. Deborah Connors, Instructor II, Department of Sociology and Anthropology
“This workshop was very interesting, and I feel like it was very beneficial especially speaking as a first year. Many of us believe that everyone knows their paths and is super confident in themselves. After this presentation I feel like I can take my time to determine specifically what field I’m interested in and even examine fields that I never thought my degree could go into. Overall it was very eye opening!
– First Year Seminar course, Your Career Starts Now Workshop
From these 195 Faculty Requests, 82 Faculty Requests were related to the career competencies developed through the Employability Framework; a growth of 204% from last year.
Through these 195 Faculty Requests, Career Services was able to reach 6,275 students. This is an increase of 47% compared to last year.
Over the course of the year, Career Services noted the following Faculty Request trends:
Increase in workshops for students in Engineering and Design; 56 workshops facilitated in 2022-2023 compared to five workshops facilitated the previous academic year, resulting in a 1,020% increase.
Increase in workshop requests from other administrative departments, including collaborations with the International Student Services Office (ISSO), Student Experience Office (SEO), PASS Facilitators through the Centre for Student Academic Support (CSAS), and the Centre for Indigenous Support and Community Engagement.
Most requests were from instructors within the Faculties of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) and Engineering and Design.
73% of workshops were held in person in the classroom.
Increase to the number of workshops for fourth-year capstone courses from Engineering and Design, FASS, and Science.
Career Workshops
Navigating the Canadian Workplace: Career Workshop Series and International Alumni Panel
Navigating the Canadian Workplace is a career workshop series that offers Carleton’s international students the opportunity to learn about Canadian hiring processes, skills identification, goal setting, networking, conducting a successful job search and interview, and more.
Career Services continued the virtual, self-directed workshop series for the 2022-2023 academic year, with the workshops held in both the fall and winter semesters. Students could view each workshop recording, complete related assignments, and review the slides and resources at their own pace over an eight-week period. Students who viewed all five workshops and completed all eight workshop assignments were eligible to earn the Navigating the Canadian Workplace Participant acknowledgement on their Co-Curricular Record (CCR).
A total of 107 students registered for the series throughout the 2022-2023 academic year (56 in fall term and 51 in winter term).
In the winter semester, as a complement to the workshop series, Career Services also held an optional in-person panel event. Students who attended the panel heard from four panelists who were from Science, Arts (Law and Psychology), and Business Administration. The panelists discussed effective job search strategies, cultural differences in the Canadian workplace, and how upskilling can expand career options. A total of 39 students registered for the event, with 12 students attending.
LinkedIn Profile Building Workshop
Career Services’ LinkedIn Profile Building Workshop series continues to grow to meet students’ needs. This year, the LinkedIn workshop was split into two parts: “How to Develop a Strong Professional LinkedIn Profile” and “Tips to Optimize LinkedIn Profile Views.”
Part one of the series focused on building a LinkedIn profile, content suggestions, and LinkedIn Learning. Part two covered more subtle aspects of LinkedIn in relation to networking and career exploration. Topics included how to make use of a customized LinkedIn URL, how to tweak a LinkedIn profile to catch the attention of recruiters, and how to effectively leverage the newsfeed to engage with the right people.
The 2022-2023 LinkedIn workshops took place via Zoom. A total of 29 students attended part one and 13 students attended part two.
Careers in Social Services and Community Development
Career Services hosted an employer panel that focused on Careers in Social Services and Community Development, and was designed for undergraduate students pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in the Faculties of Arts and Social Sciences and Public Affairs. The event was moderated by a co-op student and featured representatives from Options Bytown, Interval House Ottawa, Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health, and Spark LifeCare. Attendees had the opportunity to learn about the rewards and challenges of working in social services and community development, explore entry-level positions that are available, and receive valuable advice and insights into this career field. The event was attended by 30 highly engaged students. Based on the success of this event, Career Services plans to continue organizing similar sessions to provide recruitment information to BA students.
From Campus to Career: Bridging the Gap with Workplace Etiquette
Career Services launched a new virtual workshop during winter term with the goal of supporting students who are venturing into professional employment. Bridging the Gap with Workplace Etiquette addressed the dos and don’ts of appropriate workplace behaviour and actions in the workplace. Some topics discussed included office, virtual, and remote workplace etiquette; mastering appropriate language in the workplace; understanding and assessing industry-specific workplace culture; and tips on salary negotiation conversations. This workshop was attended by 16 students.
Prepare for the Fair
This year, Career Services hosted eight virtual resume review workshops and three in-person Pop-ups to support students and alumni attending the Fall, Winter, and Spring Career Fairs. In total, Career Services supported 610 students and alumni, which also included 253 resume reviews. Students were further supported with resources on elevator pitches, navigating the career fairs, and virtual networking tips and best practices.
