Career information at the University of Manitoba

Most universities offer students a wide range of career planning programs and services, and the University of Manitoba is no different. Committed career professionals are available to help you at all stages of your planning. Whether you are assessing or reassessing your goals, searching for programs or labour market information, developing a network, or planning a job search, career professionals are here to assist you.

The Career Resource Centre is an essential stop for all career planners. Our Centre is conveniently located at 474 University Centre to ensure effective referrals and quick access to the career planning staff of the Student Counselling and Career Centre and Career and Employment Services.  CRC staff members are knowledgeable and eager to help you find the career information you require to make important decisions.

In the Career Resource Centre, you can peruse more than 200 occupational files, hundreds of career planning and job search guides, educational directories and calendars, and business magazines and directories. In each occupational file, you can expect to learn about typical job duties, educational requirements, labour market conditions, salary levels, and potential employers.

CRC staff members glean occupational information from a variety of sources. Resources in the CRC are classified according to the National Occupational Classification, a system which provides a standardized framework for organizing the world of work in Canada. Major labour market information sites including Labour Market Information, Manitoba Job Futures and Alberta’s OCCinfo are organized based on the framework provided by the NOC. Students interested in opportunities in the United States can refer to the Occupational Outlook Handbook, a comprehensive source of information on hundreds of occupations represented in the American economy.

Sector councils, organizations consisting of representatives from business, labour, education, and other professional groups, are also great sources of career information. The Alliance of Sector Councils (TASC) is a coordinating body formed of 29 Canadian sector councils. Visit www.workapedia.ca to access all the career information products developed by Canadian sector councils.

Other sources of career information

Periodic perusal of job postings and classified advertisements is a wonderful technique for learning about potential employers and employment requirements. Employers seeking talent from the University of Manitoba often post positions on workopoliscampus.com. Don't wait until you are in need of a pay cheque to become familiar with position titles and potential employers. Instead, start developing a file of interesting positions. Who knows? You might discover new and interesting opportunities and occupational options.

Professional associations often include comprehensive career guides on websites and in print. A great deal of this type of information is available in the Career Resource Centre or linked from the Career Resource Centre website. A comprehensive list of Canadian professional associations is included on the Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials website. International references to professional associations are included in the Riley Guide, widely recognized as the most comprehensive on-line career information site in the world.

Professors, personal contacts, university departmental and career service websites and media sources including newspapers, magazines and journals can be used to learn more about occupations and educational options. Graduate students who are considering work in the academic world will want to visit the Education and Instruction section of the Riley Guide for a host of international links to academic postings. Informative articles about academic career planning and job search for those interested in faculty positions are often included on these websites. The Directory of Canadian Universities is a useful publication for students seeking an overview of Canadian universities and their associated programs. This publication along with a number of other educational directories are available in the Career Resource Centre.

Build networks with other graduate students and faculty who have similar research or scholarly interests

It is important to build networks with researchers and scholars who share your interests, both inside and outside your academic department. Networking with the right people in your discipline can contribute to successful entry into an academic and/or professional community and ultimately, help you to build your professional career.

Many of the larger academic professional associations maintain graduate student advisory committees. Involvement in graduate student committees will provide you with opportunities to build a professional network, develop your leadership skills, represent your student colleagues, advocate for the profession on a national level, and invest in your future.

Finding a career mentor

Web-based and print career information can be very helpful when making tough career planning decisions. Informational interviewing and meeting with professionals already in the occupation often proves to be even more useful.

The Career Mentor Program exists to help students meet with professionals in the workplace. Not only are students given the opportunity to ask specific questions about specific occupations and local labour market conditions, they can make valuable professional contacts who can assist them when searching out employment opportunities. The program is particularly important for those who lack personal and professional contacts, and for those who find networking very challenging.

If you would like more information on the Career Mentor Program and/or informational interviewing, drop by the Career Resource Centre or visit the Career Mentor Program website.

Recognize the skills that you have developed during your graduate education

• Ability to locate and assimilate new information rapidly
• Ability to break-down and understand complex content
• Ability to reach and defend independent conclusions
• Problem-solving tools and experience
• Intellectual maturity

• Ability to convey complex information to non-expert audiences
• Ability to write at all levels: brief abstracts to book-length manuscripts
• Editing and proofreading
• Ability to speak before large groups

• Ability to work independently and in self-directed manner
• Ability to acquire funding and write successful grant proposals

• Persuasion
• Strategic leadership
• Ability to cope with and manage complicated personalities
• Ability to work effectively in a competitive environment
• Ability to navigate complex bureaucratic environments

• Ability to set goals and targets
• Ability to identify and develop resources
• Ability to manage people and resources
• Monitoring project progress and outcomes
• Delivering a completed major project in a timely manner

• Ability to negotiate with others the terms of research and written documents (thesis/dissertation)
• Ability to articulate a distinct intellectual position or opinion and to reach consensus with others

• Ability to build synergy when collaborating with other researchers
• Ability to organize people around completion of a common goal

• Exceptional intellectual horsepower
• Track record of achievement
• Ability to perform under pressure
• Ability to learn and adapt at a high level
• Ability to meet high expectations

• Focus, tenacity, stamina, discipline
• The ability to close the deal

Preparing your professional resume or CV (curriculum vitae)

Resume Writing

If you have goals for pursuing an academic career, you should prepare a curriculum vitae (CV) by the spring of the first year of enrollment and keep it up to date. Your CV should list all of your publications, conference presentations, and other evidence of professional activity. Seek advice from your advisor on designing your CV to reflect your professional accomplishments and long-term career objectives. Also ask for a copy of his or her current CV, to give you an idea of how the CV should be structured.

Job search tips and strategies

The most important part of job searching is to know yourself and the skills that you bring to the job. It's a good idea to take an inventory of your skills in order to help you market yourself. If you know what you have to offer employers, this will help you when writing your resume and during an interview. You really need to know what sets you apart from other applicants. In order to make your job search the most effective, you need to have a plan!

Job Search Strategies: A useful guide to assist you in your job search.

Preparing for interviews

The interview is an opportunity for you to convince the employer that you have the skills, knowledge, and experience necessary for the job. On the flip side, the employer will be selling the organization to you, and you will want to be prepared with questions to ask about the position and company. To be successful in an interview, you must be prepared! You will not only need to market yourself by knowing what you have to offer the employer but will have to show an interest in the organization by asking good, well-thought out questions about the position and company.

The Interview: Strategies and tips to help you prepare for an interview.