Career Development
For the vast majority of students, their time at McMaster is one step in a complex, individual journey through their career. It is a time to learn the necessary knowledge and skills which will help a person succeed in their pursuits later in life. However, a twofold problem exists. Firstly, there is a lack of supports in some avenues. Secondly, while other arenas contain many support systems, often students have not been given sufficient opportunity to seek them out or utilize those resources to the fullest extent. I outline the steps through which I will bolster the career development of students to ensure that after graduation, they possess a breadth of skills which will ensure their success.
Increasing career development supports for students
The Student Success Centre offers supports for students to bolster their development of career and professional skills. There must be increased promotion of existing services to ensure that students can receive the necessary support they need. I will accomplish this by working with SSC to create more individualized career plans so to allow students to chart a path unique to them and their future careers. In addition, I will collaborate with SSC to expand their online chat hours to give students greater access to relevant supports. Furthermore, Welcome Week is a great opportunity for more direct promotion of their services offered to first year students, allowing them to immediately embark upon an individualized professional development journey. With these steps in place, both incoming and existing students in McMaster will be given greater resources to understand what skills they must develop, where their interests lie, and different competencies or attributes they must develop to help achieve their goals.
Supporting greater promotion of existing services and forming a united front between McMaster and the MSU
Guidance and recommendations regarding cover letters, resumes/CVs, personal statements, and application writing is often cumbersome to access. In addition, students are sometimes exposed to disparate, contradictory recommendations beyond general rules such as conciseness and use of methods such as STAR (Skill, Task, Action, Result). Thus, I will work with Student Success Centre and the faculties to help standardize protocols and recommendations, as well as better pointing students to services which will ensure resumes/CVs, cover letters, personal statements, and applications can be completed with success.
Helping foster a greater number of
networking and occupational education opportunities
The Student Success Centre has access to a wide range of different employers, resources and specific programs which can give students the resources they need for their professional success. I will work with SSC, the Alumni Office, McMaster Industry Liaison Office, as well as the Forge to create bi-weekly networking opportunities to allow students to directly engage with those working within the huge variety of different fields students can pursue after their education at McMaster. In addition, in collaboration with SSC, the various faculties, and student societies, I will pursue a strategy to centralise information about existing career supports including networking opportunities. With these steps in place there will be better dissemination of information regarding what networking and career support opportunities exist. This will give students the knowledge to better pursue topics which motivate them, as they will have a more accurate understanding of what tools which exist and be able to form stronger connections to those already within their field interest.
Increasing internship and work term opportunities
Employment opportunities often represent defining aspects of an individual’s career path. They represent opportunities to learn vital, real-world skills which can separate one candidate from another in future applications and can also serve as important avenues of personal growth. In the COVID-19 impacted economy, opportunities for all, but especially students have been severely reduced. I will work directly with faculties as well as Student Success Centre to expand the existing number of work and internship opportunities which exist, especially into programs and faculties traditionally less associated with such opportunities. With this initiative, I hope to create a future where students have more capacity to expand their tangible skills and pursue their occupational interests.
Working with The Forge and Student Success Centre to
increase entrepreneurial supports and opportunities for students
The Forge is a leading incubator and support system which bolsters start-up companies founded in the Hamilton community. With the support of The Forge, these transformative institutions hope to commercialize breakthrough products. The services offered by The Forge are available to students, but work has to be done to ensure that they can actually be more accessible and students have the support they need when transitioning from simply having an idea to actually creating a nascent business. In addition, I hope to work with Student Success Centre to fill the gap that exists between businesses which qualify for support through The Forge, and students who’s ideas would not if they are in the nascent stage of start-up creation. To accomplish these goals, I will lead a public information campaign event so students possess necessary knowledge about The Forge and Student Success Centre’s services. This will be done via interviews/networking opportunities with business leaders who launched their ideas with the help of The Forge and collaboration with SSC. Welcome Week will be a prime aspect of this campaign, as it is an opportunity to help give first year students the tools they need en masse. Filling this gap will not only support the entrepreneurial spirit of students at large, but also help identify and reduce systemic inequalities which disadvantage marginalized groups. With the implementation of these supports, I hope to give students the tools they need to enhance their entrepreneurial potential and create innovative, value-producing ideas.