Canada Career Month puts career programs and services in spotlight

This November, King’s is celebrating Canada Career Month by spotlighting the range of curricular and co-curricular programs and services available to assist our students to transition to impactful and meaningful careers.

A highlight of Canada Career Month at King’s will be our annual Fall Career and Volunteer Fairs.

The Fall Career Fair is on November 8, 2023, from 1-4 p.m. in the Garron Family Learning Lounge and the Andy and Helen Spriet Learning Commons in the King Student Life Centre. Students will be able to meet with 17 local employers to learn about current and future opportunities while practicing their networking and communication skills.

The Fall Volunteer Fair will take place on November 15, 2023, from 1-4 p.m. in the Spriet Learning Commons. Students will have an opportunity to connect with 14 local not-for-profit organizations seeking volunteers and learn how they can make a difference.

King’s will have other events during the month and, like the Career and Volunteer Fairs, all will be drop-in style with no registration required.

On November 6, 2023, an event to showcase King’s partnership with Central Overseas Education Services will take place from 1-3 p.m. in the Garron Family Learning Lounge. Central Overseas Education Services teaches English as a second language around the world.

King’s will be launching a new partnership with the Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce during an event on November 10, 2023, in the Garron Family Learning Lounge. “They will help us connect with Black-owned businesses in and around London, which will in turn promote more mentorship opportunities for Black students at King’s. They also offer entrepreneurial support programs for Black entrepreneurs so if we have students with this interest, they will be a great connection,” says Jenny Richmond-Bravo, Experiential Learning Coordinator/King’s Promise Developer.

However, support for our students does not begin nor end with Career Month as King’s has many programs and supports in place to help guide students towards their career goals.

The first week of November (October 30 - November 3, 2023) will see students heading out to one-day placements as part of the Job Shadow program. Launched during the 2021-2022 academic year, the program matches students with employer partners in the City of London and provides an opportunity to shadow a professional in a role of interest for one day. This experience helps students to develop clarity about their career aspirations and to build their professional networks. At the same time, it helps organizations to gain fresh perspectives, develop mentorship qualities in existing employees, and showcase their workplace.

Since the 2021-2022 academic year, King’s has partnered with Devant, an online career support portal for students at post-secondary institutions in Canada, to offer specialized career support services for our students and provide the knowledge, tools, and connections to successfully engage with Canadian employers and get hired. King’s was the first university in Canada to offer Devant’s online portal for students to explore career development topics including resume writing, interviewing, job search skills, networking, understanding labour markets, and more. Initially, the partnership with Devant focused on our International students but King’s is proud to expand the partnership to include all students, at no cost to them.

The King’s Promise is a signature co-curricular program that helps students to develop skills and competencies through activities and programming created or supported by King's. Students who complete the program but do not find employment within six months of graduation can return to King’s for up to one year, tuition-free. The program has a revised framework this year that should make the program more manageable for students who are juggling multiple priorities.

“King’s students from all programs, including the liberal arts, graduate with many sought-after skills and competencies that are applicable in a variety of professional contexts. The King’s Promise and Career Month programming helps students to identify and articulate these skills and competencies while supporting them to make those important external connections to potential future employers,” says Richmond-Bravo.

The Work Study program provides a regular source of income to students in financial need and also offers valuable job training and experience that will contribute to their skill-set for their eventual entrance into the workforce. 

Lauren Martin, a fourth-year double major student in Religious Studies and Childhood and Youth Studies (CYS) is a work study with Communications and Media Relations, having previously worked with King’s Campus Ministry. Martin says her work-study experience has been “amazing and insightful.”

“I have been able to gain knowledge, improve my skills, and create lasting connections. As a Communications work-study student, I have had the opportunity to use my creativity skills to make Instagram reels and TikTok videos, learn more about the editing process of videos, and enhance my interpersonal skills. This experience has provided me the tools to be successful in my future career,” says Martin.

As she completes her undergraduate degree in English Honours Specialization, Morgan DeCampos is also working with Student Affairs as the King’s Academic Mentoring Program (KAMP) Coordinator. “I have been able to witness the workings of a university from both a student's and an employee's perspective and given me valuable insights into the professional academic environment, while also fostering a deeper appreciation for the hard work that goes into making King's University College a truly wonderful place to be,” says DeCampos.

The International Work Experience program offers International students training and experience in a Canadian work environment, provides a source of income during the summer months, and prepares students for their eventual entrance into the work force.

Quynh Tran is a second-year student in a four-year honours BA, with an honours specialization in Economics, who works in Enrolment Services. She says the experience has helped improve her English and communication skills and she has enjoyed helping to organize events like Open House for incoming students and breakfasts with the principals and counselors for most of the high schools in London.

“The best part of this job is meeting new people and learning about different cultures. My supervisor and colleagues have been so great, helping me with office tasks. It's been great preparation for my future career in Canada,” says Tran.

Career Counselling at King’s is offered by professionally trained counsellors specializing in career development. Students can discuss career decision-making, choosing a major, job search, and future school planning. By visiting Career Connect, students will find a hub of curated self-help career resources for exploring career choices, building experience and skills and launching an effective job search.

“Career education and employment supports are important priorities for students and their families as part of their post-secondary journey. Programs and events that connects student opportunities signals our commitment to not only provide an excellent education but to help them find their path post-graduation from King’s,” says Joe Henry, Dean of Students.

Visit our events calendar to find out more about Canada Career Events being held at King’s.