Whether you are graduating this spring, ready to dive into the workforce, or looking to work part-time as you continue your studies, Career Services at USask is a thorough and informative resource available to USask students and alumni.

Established in 2007, the University of Saskatchewan’s Career Services strives to advance career education and offer guidance and expertise related to career success. It serves USask students and alumni in three ways: helping students prepare for and manage their careers, developing the competencies needed in today’s careers, and assisting students in finding career opportunities and connecting with professionals. 

How Career Services Helps Students Prepare for Their Careers: 

Career Services has several career educators — individuals from diverse backgrounds and experiences to advance students’ career development and coach them. USask students can book appointments with them to help prepare for their future careers.

The following is a list of types of appointments offered by Career Services. To register for an appointment head to CareerLink: https://careerlink.usask.ca/home.htm. All appointments can either be in-person or virtual.

• Career Coaching: A 45-minute, one-on-one appointment about your career and employment needs. In this appointment, you and the career educator will identify your goals, plan your next steps, and explore your career options based on career assessment results. You will learn how to be more effective at finding and applying for jobs and answer general questions you may have about employment or career-related questions.
• Mock Interview: A 30- or 45-minute one-on-one appointment for students to practice their interview skills. The session will cover general interview-style questions and specific questions the student would like to improve on. The career educator will require a copy of your resume, cover letter, and the job posting if you are applying for a specific job. Career Services also recommends attending an interview workshop offered by Career Services. Workshops can be found under the Events/Workshops calendar in CareerLink. 

Note the Mock Interview appointments are not meant for mock MMI or mock CaRMS interview practice. 

• Resume and Job Search: A 20-minute one-on-one appointment to review your resume, CV, or cover letter.  Students can also ask questions about interviewing and job search.
• ResumeTalk: A 30- or 45-minute one-on-one appointment to review your resume, cover letter, CV, or LinkedIn profile. Students will also receive suggestions to help them stand out during their job search.

Career Services provides numerous l resources to help students develop their resumes, CVs, LinkedIn profiles, and cover letters. These resources include sample documents and tips on building relationships on LinkedIn and discovering career opportunities.

• Resume: https://students.usask.ca/documents/secc/cover-letter-guide.pdf
• Cover Letter: https://students.usask.ca/documents/secc/cover-letter-guide.pdf
• CV: https://students.usask.ca/jobs/guides/curriculum-vitae-guide.php 
• CV guide: https://students.usask.ca/documents/secc/cv-guide.pdf
• LinkedIn: https://students.usask.ca/articles/linkedin.php  

Major Maps is another valuable resource for USask students. It helps you explore your major and understand how it translates to career opportunities. The map lists the courses you would take each year, provides tips for gaining relevant experience, and helps you build local and global connections. Not all undergraduate degree programs have a career map, but Career Services is working on creating one for all disciplines.

The current Major Maps offered include Nutrition, Computer Science, Education, Toxicology, Accounting, and many more! To explore Major Maps, head to the following website: https://students.usask.ca/major-maps/index.php

How Career Services Help Develop Competencies:

Not only does Career Services offer many resources and appointments that can help you prepare for your career, but they also offer many programs and workshops designed to help you develop important workplace skills that can help you be more competitive in your job search.

• Career Readiness Workshop Series: This is a 10-week interactive series that aims to build students’ career readiness. There are three self-exploration workshops, “Explore Your Potential 1: Discovering Your Values and Interests,” “Explore Your Potential 2: Discovering Your Strengths and Skills,” and “Crafting Your Career Path: Building Action Plans for Your Career Goals.”

The series also includes three self-preparation workshops focused on “Connecting majors to careers”, “Developing and Practicing Student Competencies,” and  “Enhancing your job search skills: Beyond Online Postings.” 

The final set of workshops includes four self-marketing workshops, “Introduction to Networking and LinkedIn,” “Crafting Effective Cover Letters,” “Building Resumes/CVs for Success”, and “Acing the Job Interview”. 

The next workshops are on March 11 “Acing the Job Interview” and March 18 ^“Networking and LinkedIn.” To register and find all the dates go to CareerLink— Events and Workshops Calendar.

USask also offers experiential learning opportunities that give students hands-on experience and help them develop crucial career skills. Many Usask Colleges offer co-ops and internships such as the Computer Science Professional Internship Program, Regional and Urban Planning Internship and Work Placement, Edwards Co-operative Education Program, and STM Community Service Learning. The following link has a list of all colleges that offer co-ops and internships: https://students.usask.ca/jobs/experiential-learning.php.

Additionally, programs like Riipen Level UP, FUSION, and Experiential Learning in the Workplace through the RBC Learn to Work, Work to Learn, offer students the chance to build skills and gain real-world experience. Some of these programs also allow students to earn money and receive student recognition awards. To learn more, visit: https://students.usask.ca/jobs/experiential-learning.php

How Career Services Helps Find Career Opportunities: 

Career Services organizes several Career Fairs throughout the term. These fairs are an excellent opportunity for students to meet future employers from different industries. They provide a space for students to ask questions about the company’s work opportunities and learn more about future careers.

The Indigenous Student Career Fair is on March 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Gordon Oakes Red Bear Student Centre. Along with Career Fairs, Employer Pop-ups also allow students to connect with industry professionals.

Students can also use CareerLink to find job postings, volunteer opportunities, internships, and co-op placements. Additional job search sites are listed at the following link: https://students.usask.ca/jobs/job-links.php

USask Connects is another valuable program that matches student mentees with alumni mentors. Through this program, students receive guidance on their academic and career journeys from USask alumni. The program lasts for eight weeks with four 1-hour sessions on topics such as industry insights, understanding the mentee’s skills, making a career plan, and much more. Completing the program gives students practical networking experience, a co-curricular record credit, a certificate of completion, and consideration for a $1000 Recognition Award. 

These and many more workshops and training sessions offered by Career Services can help you on your career journey. To be in the know about future workshops and events follow Career Services on their social media @usaskcareerservices. Take advantage of these resources today.