I finished my last midterm of my undergraduate career this week, and my reading week break officially started today! Well, it sort of started. I’m going to Toronto with my APSC 400 TEAM group to speak to a company that will help us with our research, so I guess I am still technically doing work for school. As for my reading week plans, I’m going to Montreal on Monday with a friend of mine for a few days. Most people in my year this year is going to Cancun or Punta Cana or the Dominican Republic to celebrate the last year of undergrad, but I decided to play it safer by going somewhere within driving distance instead.
To be honest, I have mixed feelings about my last 2 months of school. On one end I’m super excited about finally finishing my undergraduate degree and going out into the work force, but on the other end I’m also scared and anxious about the future. I am still in the process of looking for a job, but I’m not too worried because I know it will all work out in the end.
One interesting thing about my job search right now is that I’m participating in a program offered by the on-site Business Career Centre called Direct Connect. Basically what this program does is that it matches each participant with your own career advisor and through bi-weekly meetings with him/her, you develop your soft skills related to job searching, including learning how to network and build connections within your industry of choice. The purpose of Direct Connect is to help you develop skills that can enable you to tap into the other 80% of the job market that is hidden.
I’m currently in the process of meeting with my advisor and I’ve found the sessions very useful because in trying to get to know more about me, she asks me things that I’ve never really thought about on my own. Not only is it a great way to develop my networking skills, it has helped me learn more about myself. In addition to the skills-building, the program also helps me connect with people who work in my field of interest through informational interviews, and build upon my existing network. Of course we also do things such as go through my resume and cover letter to get me ready for the job application process.
This is probably a little bit farther down the road than many of you are in the process of considering, but I don’t think I’ve heard of any other school offering a program like Direct Connect. It is definitely an advantage that the Queen’s Commerce program offers, and something extra to consider when you decide on where you want to be for your undergraduate degree.
- Sheila Pan, COMM 2011