Why participate?
Opting in to the Career Development Program is simple and carries many benefits. We'll let Matt and Rhys tell you the rest.
Career Development Program
Participating in the Career Development Program is a simple way for you to reach your career potential – and earn professional gear – by attending different career workshops and networking events. As you achieve the different milestones of this program, you will gain valuable tools that will help you promote your skills to employers and become more confident in networking with professional contacts.
Career Development Program Milestones
There are three career development milestones in the program. As you attend activities belonging to each milestone, you will receive professional gear. It’s that simple.
*See the bottom of this page for a full list of workshops and professional development (PD) activities.
Discover Milestone
- You attend: Resume & Cover Letter Building Workshop, and your choice of two PD activities
- You earn: Custom business cards
Enhance Milestone
- You attend: Networking 101 and Personal Branding Workshop, Job Search Strategies Workshop, and your choice of two PD activities
- You earn: Business card holder
Showcase Milestone
- You attend: Impactful Interview Skills Workshop, Professional Etiquette Workshop, and your choice of three PD activities
- You earn: Executive padfolio
Additional guidelines
Milestones do not have to be achieved consecutively. If the activities in the Showcase milestone better match your career development needs, then go for it. One rule is that the PD activities must be different. For example, attending two employer networking events counts as one PD activity.
Getting started
To participate in the Career Development Program, you must sign up through the Business Career Development Centre’s Resource Portal on CourseLink. It will help you keep track of the events you attend. Get started in three simple steps.
- Sign into CourseLink and access the Business Career Development Centre Resource Portal
- Look for the Career Development Program section
- Follow the steps to sign up and track your activities
Workshops
The Business Career Development Centre offers many workshops to help prepare you to stand out in the candidate pool.
Resume and Cover Letter Building
Learn how to develop a professional business resume and cover letter – gain insight into industry best practices and what employers look for in a resume, including strategies on how to make your documents unique!
Impactful Interview Skills
Understanding what to expect in a professional job interview including structure, types of interview questions and how to deliver an effective answer using the STAR method.
Networking 101 and Personal Branding
Learn effective networking strategies including how to make an impactful introduction, asking questions, navigating networking events. Understand the importance of personal branding including best practices when using social media to promote skills and experiences to employers.
Job Search Strategies
Discover resources, tools and tactics that students can use when conducting a job search such as labour market research and information interviews. Understand the student recruitment process, including specific approaches in certain industry sectors.
Professional Etiquette
Understand the importance of professional etiquette when conducting a job search as well as in the workplace. Learn best practices when communicating in a professional business environment including email etiquette, appearance and workplace behaviour.
Professional Development Activities (PD)
Meet employers, build your LinkedIn profile, get career coaching. Make sure you're prepared to take on the work world with our professional development activities.
Career Exploration and Action Plan
Explore the importance of personal values, interests, strengths, personality as part of the career planning process using Career Leader (online self-assessment tool). Meet with a Business Career Specialist to review your results and create an individual action plan.
LinkedIn Lab
Are you using LinkedIn effectively when it comes to social networking and promoting your value as part of a job search? Participate in this hands-on workshop to learn strategies on how to enhance your profile, network effectively and maximize your presence on this powerful networking tool!
Individual Career Coaching Session with BCDC
Need help with your resume, interview or job search? Book an appointment with the Business Career Development Centre to get customized career support.
Career Fair Prep Workshop
Learn how to best navigate a career/job fair and maximize your efforts when connecting with potential employers.
Employer Information Session
Meet with potential employers to learn more about their organization and recruitment opportunities. Visit Recruit Guelph for specific dates/times.
Day in the Life Panel Event
The Business Career Development Centre's "Day in the Life" panel series helps take the guesswork when deciding on a career path by offering an opportunity to explore different jobs within specific business fields through presentations and interactive discussions with alumni and industry representatives.
CBESA or Accredited Student Organization (ASO) Networking Event or Activity
Refer to the CBESA or ASO website for specific events and details.
University of Guelph Job and Career Fairs (Fall and Winter terms)
Visit Recruit Guelph for more information and specific dates/times.
Conference and Competition Funding
The College of Business and Economics is proud to support students in attending and hosting industry related competitions and conferences taking place regionally, nationally and even globally. There is a formal application process in place for students seeking financial support to attend a competition or conference. For more information, visit the Conferences and Competitions website for more details on the application process.
Co-op Education and Career Services (CECS) Workshop
Choose from a number of career related workshops open to all students - visit Recruit Guelph for more information and specific dates/times.
CBaSE Bigger Picture Series or Ambassador
CBaSE empowers students to become a new generation of business leaders committed to community engagement and a sustainable future. For more information, visit the CBaSE website.