Related Careers: The Same but Different

It is easy to get stuck in the mindset that there are only a few careers out there to chose from. 

Aside from being a teacher, fireman/firewoman, doctor, lawyer, what is there? LOTS! Ok so maybe those examples are a little elementary, but I hope you can understand the point I am trying to make.

In ALL fields there are well known jobs, and jobs that may have unfamiliar titles. Part of the job search process involves identifying jobs in our fields, but how can we do that if we don't know what they are called? Related careers exist in all fields, and can offer you a job that can potentially meet your needs without being stuck in the " I have to be a XYZ"!
For example:
 Teaching.

Aside from being an elementary/secondary teacher, what else can you do?

There are instructor positions, one on one tutor positions, positions where you are in a teaching role, but you may not be in a classical classroom setting. These jobs may have different names, and the names of the positions may change depending on where  you work.

So how do I find these jobs?

These jobs can be found by simply keeping an open mind. When browsing job postings, don't zone in on well known job titles. See what comes up, and click on unknown titles to learn more.

Easier than that, sign in to career zone and go to CareerCruising. On CC you can search positions but you can also type in a position and on the left hand side there is a RELATED CAREERS button that will provide you with a list of jobs that are the same but different.

 When I say the same but different,  I mean that it can satisfy your inner needs. Your reason for wanting to be in that job or field but may have a different setting, goal, or you may be working with different people.

Be open to all job titles, and don't be afraid to learn more about them. Google is your best friend!

 If you would like to chat more about related careers, or what related careers may be in your field, come on in to Career Services and chat with any of our friendly Career Assistants. We would love to help you!

Becky White
4th year Tourism and Environment

Acing the Unconventional Interview

You’ve applied to a job that interests you and have found out you’ve been invited to take part in a Skype interview. How should you prepare? How is it any different than a face-to-face interview? It is important you prepare for unconventional interviews (over Skype or the phone) just as much as you would a face-to-face interview. Here are a few strategies for success!

Phone Interviews

• Prepare. Since the employer won’t be sitting right in front of you it is ok to have a cheat sheet. Have a checklist of potential interview questions with some point form notes and practice your responses over the phone with a family member or friend.
• Location. Be sure to pick a quiet room with no background noise for your interview. Also, clear your workspace and lay out your resume and any additional documents you may want to refer to in an organized manner prior to your interview to avoid wasting time fumbling through papers when you should be answering questions.
• Etiquette. Just as in a face-to-face interview be sure to introduce yourself to each interviewer and thank them at the end. Don’t be shy to ask the interviewer for clarification or to repeat a question if you couldn’t catch what they said. Following the interview, you should send an email thanking them for the interview and reiterate your interest in the position. Having a 5 second delay in your responses to collect your thoughts is ok.

Skype Interviews

• Location. Just as with a phone interview, it is important you choose a quiet room with no background noise for your Skype interview. Don’t let the interviewer call into question your organizational skills with a cluttered background, ensure that your environment is as professional as your attire.
• Practice. Login to Interview Stream through CareerZone and practice your interview. Interview Stream allows you to record yourself answering questions and provides feedback and tips of non-verbal behavior and communication missteps. You can also send your recorded interview to us (career@brocku.ca) at the Career Centre for additional feedback.

With the right preparation you can ace these unconventional interviews. As always if you have any questions, want some feedback or advice please stop by the Career Centre Monday-Friday 9-4:30 or email us at career@brocku.ca.

Happy interviewing,

Mike Pratas

3^rd year Political Science Major

Senior Career Assistant 

Winter Reading Week Hours 2015

With reading week (finally) here next week, it might be a good time to jump-start your summer job search. Did you know that we are open during reading week? Drop by to have your resume and cover letter reviewed, get help looking for summer jobs, or help with anything else career related! Graduating and unsure of your next steps? We can help narrow it down!

Our hours of operations are as follows:

Monday - Family Day - closed
Tuesday - Presidents Day - closed
Wednesday - open 9-4:30 
Thursday - open 9-4:30
Friday - open 9-4:30

We hope everyone has a great reading week -see you next week!

Anthony Mancuso
Honours Bachelor of Sport Management - Year 3
Senior Career Assistant 

Interview Prep

With summer jobs being posted and resumes being sent out, students are starting to think about how they will prepare for an interview. Interviews are an important step in the hiring process; they can make or break your chances of landing that job.

We have a lot of resources at the Career Resource Centre to help students prepare and be successful. Some of these include our Interview Handout, our Interview Techniques Binder, our Mock Interview service and print resources such as Interview Magic, Job Interview Phrase Book, and Knock’em Dead Job Interviews. As a student you can take full advantage of these resources by coming in to see us at the Career Resource Centre!

One of our newest and most exciting resources we have to offer to students looking for interview help is Interview Stream. Interview Stream is a web-based, video practice tool that records you while answering up to 10 questions. It allows you to practice verbal and non-verbal communication skills and evaluates you on how well you did. Interview Stream has over 7000 interview questions that you can choose from (or set it to random to be totally surprised!). As a student you can access Interview Stream through CareerZone by going to Student> Log In> Career Services> Online Resource Centre> Interviews> Interview Stream.

Preparing for a job interview will ease your nerves and make it easier to show them your best.  Know exactly what the position is and a little bit about the company and the services they offer. In addition to this, know yourself. Know what your goals are and know why you are applying for this position. Ensure you know the time, place, date, and dress code for your interview so you are prepared and well on time. We hope to see you at the Career Resource Centre if you have an upcoming interview! 

Alysha-Lynn Kooter, Senior Career Assistant, 3rd Year Intermediate/Senior Concurrent Education, Visual Art 

On-Campus Jobs for Next Fall - Start Looking Now!

The time to look for next falls on-campus jobs is now! A common mistake we see at the Career Resource Centre is that students will come into our centre in September looking for on-campus jobs for the school year. However, these jobs actually hire for those positions in the Winter semester prior! Therefore it is important to start looking now - some jobs have already been posted, and some jobs have already been hired for. If you want to work on-campus during the 2015-2016 school year, now is the time to apply!

Job postings will begin to flood the job-search websites below for on-campus jobs:
- careerzone.brocku.ca
- busu.net
- brocku.ca/dining-services/employment
- experiencebu.brocku.ca
- brocku.ca/student-life-community-experience

Here are some places to apply that will be posting on these websites!
- Campus Book Store
- Footnotes
- Career Services
- Health Services
- International Services
- Student Development Centre
- Brock Press
- Campus Security
- Computer Commons
- James A. Gibson Library
- IT Services
- BUSU Office
- Youth Univeristy
- Isaac's
- Guernsey Market
- Starbucks
- Union Station
- Walker Cafeteria

... and so much more.

Remember, Career Services can help you every step of the way. We can review your resume and cover letter, help you apply to jobs on CareerZone, and even help you with your interview skills! By taking advantage of our services and taking our advice you increase your chances of getting a job.

Good luck applying to on-campus jobs!

Anthony Mancuso
3rd Year Honours Bachelor of Sport Management
Senior Career Assistant

Core Elements for Job Application

Resources offered by the Career Resource Centre such as editing resumes and cover letters are unknown to an extent, or not used to the full extent. Career services uses a broad range of different editing strategies that are all to give individuals the best opportunity at 
success in job applications.

A resume is a summary of different jobs  and experiences that an individual has gotten skills and 
qualifications from. A cover letter is a tailored document outlining why a  person is passionate or wants to pursue a certain job. It is important to  note that a cover letter and a resume work in a communal fashion to  convey qualifications and expertise.. What makes Career Service’s  really special is that the Career Assistants all have experience and 
training writing cover letters and resumes.

What a cover letter or resume review looks like is a student coming in  with a hard copy of their resume or cover letter and they can sit face  to face with a career assistant. This is a drop in service, there are additional resources and these are accomplished by friendly customer  service.

References are a vital document, essentially for applying to jobs. There  are 3 different styles of references: One being an academic (professor or teacher), the next being a personal (close friend), and  the last being a professional (a boss). These points of view give your prospective boss an opportunity  to get to know you holistically.Stop by the Career Resource Centre and get your career documents reviewed today!

Cheers

Tyler Harris                                 Kaitlyn Daw
3rd year Psychology                   3rd year English Language & Literature