Fact 1: Youth unemployment is at 17.4%. In today’s economy, where baby boomers are not retiring, students ages 15 - 24 are having a harder time find-ing jobs. Fact 2: The co-op program at the University of Ottawa can help you find a job in your field. Here are the facts for anyone considering becoming a co-op student. - It costs $650 (as of fall 2012) to be part of the co-op pro-gram, plus $650 per co-op term. - Before your first term, there are mandatory workshops to help you prepare your résumé and enhance your interview skills. - You will have to follow the co-op sequence – this will affect when you take your courses. - You are required to have a minimum CGPA (contact the co-op office for details). With this all in mind, co-op is definitely worth it. I would say that the most useful part of co-op is their job bank. Employers use the co-op process because it’s easy for them. All students are applying through the same process – co-op résumés fol-low a standard format and the interviews are usually done in

one day on campus. The COOP Navigator is helpful because it also indicates the status of your résumé (whether employ-ers have seen it or not), if you have been asked for an inter-view, and if you have been selected for a co-op place-ment. Now compare the co-op pro-cess to the normal hiring pro-cess. First of all, each company has different hiring cycles and methods for finding applicants. It’s common for some compa-nies to not advertise their job postings on their website. I remember that I had difficulty when trying to find my first summer job after high school. Companies would tell you to apply online, but you would never know what happened to your application. I would won-der: Did they lose my applica-tion? Did they reject me? It was frustrating experience. Co-op is straightforward. There are job postings. You apply. You get interviews (hopefully). You get accepted or rejected. You are never lost in the pro-cess because the co-op office holds your hand and guides you through it.

In my particular case, co-op is the best way for me to gain work experience before I grad-uate. I’m a third year account-ing student and on January 3, 2012, I started my first co-op term at Logan Katz – a local CA firm in South Keys. Within my first few weeks, I was working on files and preparing financial statements and corporate tax returns. I am also part of the personal tax team for tax sea-son (March and April). I am truly enjoying my experience at Logan Katz because I am learning so much every day. I would strongly recommend co-op to any student because it has helped me jump-start my career. And in an economy where the youth unemploy-ment rate is at 17.4%, co-op has helped me beat the odds.

The Co-op Diaries: What is the co-op process? Is it worth it?

Special points of

interest:

Co-op Program

Résumé Critiques

Human Resources

Marketing

Career Perspectives

T E L F E R S C H O O L O F M A N A G E M E N T

Spring 2013

Changing Career

Paths

2

Résumé Critiques 2

Are you a Human

Resources student?

Find out about your

accreditation!

3

The limitless possi-

bilities in the field of

marketing and the

benefits of studying

at the Telfer School

of Management

4

Inside this issue:

By: Christina Yee

Sources: www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/workplaceskills/labour_market_information/bulletins/on/on-lmb-2012fall.shtml www.coop.uottawa.ca/en/en-prospective-students/en-how-works.asp

workplace before, to those just entering the job market. After this critique, you will be armed with valuable information on how to improve your résumé, and you will be ready to begin your job search! So if you want your résumé to be one of the best, stop by DMS 1100, or call the Career Centre at 613-562-5656 to make an appointment for a résumé critique today!

résumé for that position. This way your résumé will be more focused and profes-sional. During this critique, communication is key. Make sure you ask lots of questions to ensure you are getting the most out of it. The people you will be meeting with are very knowledgeable, and have a lot of ex-perience, so their tips will be very valuable to you. A misconception that some students have is that they think their résumé is perfect. They assume that there is nothing to change, and that their résumé is the best that it can be. This is rarely the case, so it very important to have a résumé critique. The reviewer may find things that you did-n’t notice. It is always better to have a sec-ond pair of eyes look at your résumé. Sometimes we are so caught up in the small details that we miss the big picture. The counsellor or employer will be able to look at it from a different perspective and give you helpful tips that you wouldn’t have thought of on your own. Overall, résu-mé critiques can be beneficial to all stu-dents – from those who have been in the

University is a critical time for students to set a direction for their future career paths. There are many important deci-sions that all university students must consider. For Telfer students these deci-sions consist of deciding what specializa-tion they want to take and which designa-tions or graduate degrees they may wish to pursue in the future. Having to plan for these future ambitions may seem like a daunting task and staying on these paths can leave some students stressing out about their future. Although it is very important to have career goals, many students may decide to change their career paths along the way.

Figuring out what profession to pursue is a hard task and many students aren’t even sure if the path they are taking is the one they want to be on. Luckily the Career Cen-tre gives students resources and support if they ever do decide to change their future goals. This support is given through differ-ent information sessions and workshops offered by the Career Centre. Uncertainty is very normal for many people at this stage in their lives. Students should not be scared to look into other possibili-ties for their future careers. They should also know that they can seek guidance whether they know what they want their future profession to be or even if they are still unsure.

For those who are unsure, they can go through career testing to find out what jobs most suit their interests and personali-ties. This will help students to get a sense of how to make the most of their under-graduate degree and to lead them in a clearer career path. Knowing that the Career Centre offers great support, you should not be afraid if you do wish to change career paths or spe-cializations. If you are interested in learning more about how the Career Centre can help you, you can learn about their services at www.telfer.uottawa.ca/careercentre.

Résumé Critiques

Changing Career Paths

Have you ever felt that your résumé is weak, unstructured, and plain? Are you having trouble finding a job? If so, then you are the perfect candidate for a résumé critique. The Telfer Career Centre (DMS1100) offers résumé critiques hosted by both profes-sionals in the workplace and by career counsellors from the Centre. There are HR managers from several different companies that come to the Telfer School to help stu-dents tailor their résumés for specific jobs. As well, the qualified Telfer School career counsellors can help to improve and up-date your résumé. In either case, your résu-mé will be in great hands. The first step to a résumé critique is to make the appointment. You will then be asked to send your résumé in advance. The counsellor or employer will meet with you individually and look at your résumé step by step. They will highlight the good points that you have and how you can emphasize them more. As well, they will advise you on which sections can be replaced or re-moved. If you want to apply to a job in a specific field, they can help you tailor your

Page 2 Career Perspectives

By: Rhianna Igne-Jajalla

By: Nida Mushtaq

Are you a Human Resources student? Find out about your accreditation!

We have all heard about professional designations in accounting or in finance. However, there is one designation that seems to be often forgotten: the CRHP-CIRC designation for human resources professionals. The Telfer School of Management is ideally located: it is in Ontario but right near Quebec. This means that human resources students can decide from which province they would like to receive their designation. Though they are not mandatory, designations are strongly encouraged as they can open doors to many opportunities. In both of Ontario and Quebec, you can even join the order you wish as a student, which gives you access to numerous resources. In Quebec, the accrediting body is called the Ordre des conseillers en ressources humaines agrées et des conseillers en relations industrielles agréés (CRHA-CRIA). To receive your designation from them, you must graduate from a university human resources program. Once you have graduated, you submit an application for evaluation. You are then usually asked to pass the National Knowledge Exam, which is the same in all provinces. Upon passing the exam, you become a CRHA. In Ontario, the accrediting body is the Human Resources Professionals Association. You must once again have a diploma in human resources and have taken the 9 mandatory courses (see your course sequence), obtaining 65% or more in these courses with an overall average of 70%. By registering and submitting your records, you will be considered as a designation candidate. To become a fully-accredited CHRP, you need 3 years of human resources experience and then must pass the National Knowledge Exam. For more information about HR designations or to become a student member of one of these orders, visit their website: CRHA-CRIA (Québec): www.portailrh.org HRPA (Ontario): www. hrpa.ca

Page 3

By: Jennifer Proulx The 2012-2013 Career Centre Ambassador Team!

Several areas of marketing The field of marketing is not only com-prised of sales and advertising, but also of public relations, market and statistical anal-ysis, strategy, promotion and distribution of goods and services, management, com-munications, and more! All companies use marketing – small- or medium-sized enter-prises (SME), non-profit organizations, and large national or multinational corpora-tions. Here are some areas in the field of market-ing. Public Relations: This field covers the crea-tion, organization and application of strate-gies and communication plans aiming to strengthen the relationships between busi-nesses and their various partners such as employees, clients, investors, suppliers, governments, interest groups, and mem-bers of the community and of the media. Market Research: The main activities in this area of marketing are linked to the qualitative and quantitative analysis of consumers, markets and advertisements. Direct Marketing: This area of marketing is the most well-known. It consists of mailing, telemarketing, teleshopping, etc. Event Marketing: This refers to event or-ganization, project planning and execution, as well as event budget management.

Contrary to what one might think, a career in marketing does not only mean working in sales or advertising. The field of market-ing includes a diverse range of opportuni-ties that require a wide variety of knowledge and skill. That being said, mar-keting professionals, like in all other areas of business, must possess the basic funda-mentals in order to climb the numerous rungs to the top of the success ladder, namely executive-level positions. The Telfer School of Management Bachelor of Commerce program with an option in Marketing The best route to take to launch a success-

ful career is to study in that field. The Telfer

School of Management Bachelor of Com-

merce program with an option in Market-

ing has the added benefits of allowing stu-

dents to study in both of Canada’s official

languages, French or English, and to be

part of the Co-operative Education Pro-

grams. Moreover, during the first two years

of the program, regardless of the chosen

option or specialization, students take a

selection of common core courses that

provide them with a solid foundation in all

the fields of business, as well as with the

tools and resources needed to become

future executives.

Sales: This area of marketing comprises of activities such as client solicitation, business relations, customer service, etc. Product Management: This area consists of applying marketing techniques to a product. This includes analysing market trends and competition, identifying the needs of the consumer, finding business opportunities, etc. Web Marketing: This area of marketing re-fers to the creation and management of com-pany website content. Some marketing-related skills and personal characteristics

Excellent communication skills

Open-minded

Organized

Team Player

Strong listening skills

Perseverance

Flexible

Motivated

Analytical

Enjoys working with numbers

The limitless possibilities in the field of marketing and the benefits of studying at the Telfer School of Management

Career Centre

Telfer School of Management

University of Ottawa

DMS 1100

55 Laurier Avenue East

Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5

Tel: 613-562-5656

Email: careers@telfer.uOttawa.ca

www.telfer.uOttawa.ca/

careercentre

By: Mia-Kin Viau-Gamache