EXPERIENCING MORE From Home!

As we are heading into the month of June, many of us have now been confined to our homes for several months. It goes without saying that the COVID-19 virus has been deeply disruptive to our normal routines and school/work schedules, and with the weather changing, it is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain a productive mindset. With that said, continuing to learn, build skills, and gain experiences remains important to us as university students. We want to take this time to share with you some of the things that have afforded us the opportunity to continue EXPERIENCING MORE as a student at Brock.

 1. CONTINUE WORKING WITH CAREER EDUCATION

 Although you may be apprehensive to continue job/career searching during this time, we urge students not to back down. Industries and companies are dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic in different ways, and stopping or delaying your search may cause you to miss out on great opportunities that are available during this time.
With this in mind, taking advantage of webinars, CareerZone Café’s, and Virtual Drop In’s hosted by the Career Education team may help inspire you to continue working hard on your search and give you a chance to connect with fellow students in similar positions. Furthermore, we are still providing career consultations on job search strategies, interviewing, recruitment, personal branding, and the labour market in a virtual setting.

2. KEEP UP WITH VIRTUAL NETWORKING

Creating and maintaining a strong network is key for us as students as we continue job/career searching. Make it a priority to reach out to new potential contacts. This not only gives you an opportunity to seek out information in sectors you are interested in, but also is a chance to get some insider advice you may otherwise not have had access to. You should aim to learn as much as you can from the person you are engaging with, so we recommend you let this guide the conversation.

We recommend using LinkedIn to start connecting with professionals in your desired industry. If you have already created a profile and established a network, we recommend reaching out to them through the LinkedIn messenger to maintain your relationship- even if it is just to check in. If you are just getting started with your network, send a personalized message referencing who you are and why you would like to connect. We have found this particularly inspiring, as learning from and connecting with industry professionals has been a great reminder of our goals for the future.

3. MAKE IT A PRIORITY TO KEEP LEARNING

 It can be particularly difficult to continue engaging your mind in the work from home setting, but there are several options to continue learning. LinkedIn Learning, which can be accessed using your Brock login credentials, offers thousands of online courses that you may find interesting or helpful. Professional associations in your industry of interest may offer virtual programming- these may also offer opportunities for building your network. We also recommend subscribing to podcasts that focus on your professional or academic interests- these are a great way to learn and engage without the added pressure of coursework.

We hope you find these tips as helpful as they have been to us. Please reach out to career@brocku.ca with any questions or concerns you may have regarding our services at CareeZone, we would be happy to assist you in your efforts to EXPERIENCE MORE during this unique time.