Career Canada Month highlights King's commitment to student career development

November is Career Canada Month. Throughout the month, through social media and in-person activities, King’s will be highlighting the range of co-curricular and curricular programs and services that assist our students to transition to impactful and meaningful careers as evidenced by the success of our alumni and students.

“Over the last several years, King’s has been investing resources to help our student leave King’s prepared to make a difference in London and beyond. Our relationship and with the London Economic Development Corporation (LEDC), along with myriad of organizations across Ontario, give our students every opportunity to truly be and become and make an impact in their chosen fields and professions,” says Joe Henry, Dean of Students.

King’s provides the following programs and services which complement our high quality and rigorous academic programs:

EXPLORE the options that students may have to leverage their degree to a variety of career opportunities

• The Life After King’s Series, offered by Alumni in partnership with the academic schools and Student Affairs, bring alumni who are established in their careers back to King’s and into the classroom to speak with students who are studying various disciplines. These sessions offer opportunities for students to realize potential career paths and develop their professional networks.
• The Life After King’s Mentor Program aims to connect alumni with students and graduates who are interested in career exploration. This service provides an informal opportunity to connect with alumni who are established in their field. These mentors are able to provide advice on a range of topics whether you are entering the workforce or looking for insight on a career transition.
• Accessibility Counselling and Student Development has professional counsellors specializing in career development to help students discover the best next step on their career journey. 
• Career Connect is King’s one-stop web-based career portal offering support, from finding a career that fits, opportunities to develop skills and prepare for the workplace and promotion of events and opportunities at Western University through the Career Connect calendar.
• The King's Job Board, developed in 2017 in partnership with Knighthunter, is a special service King’s students and alumni can access to find a job in their desired field. Every year, students and alumni have been recruited by local and area employers thanks to the King’s Job board. Since 2019, over 1200 jobs have been posted on King’s Job Board. In 2020, the Job Board website had over 6200 unique page views.
• King’s students have access to Western’s Experience catalogue, a planning tool which showcases the breadth of opportunities to gain experience at Western and make informed choices in your personal and professional development.

 

ENGAGE with program that can support personal and professional development

• The Write Place, in partnership, with Student Affairs, offers a resume review services where students can get peer help with resumes, cover letters, personal statements and more.
• The School of Management, Economics and Mathematics Career Readiness project is designed to help students to enhance their professional, technical and networking skills through a series of professional development workshops.
• King’s hosts Job Fairs, Graduate School Seminars and advanced education opportunities throughout the academic year.
• During the first week of October, King’s students were able to participate in the first annual Entrepreneurship Summit held in collaboration with Western University. There will be additional opportunities to take part in other career transitions events throughout the fall semester through Hire WesternU.
• King’s has entered into a new partnership with Devant, which will work with upper-year international students on career planning, resume and cover letter writing, interview preparation, networking, employer research and other areas as they begin their transition to a post-university career.

 

EXPERIENCE through co-curricular and curricular learning opportunities to enhance to apply their learning and enhance their competencies

• The Fall 2021 term will see the launch of the inaugural cohort of the King’s Promise, a signature program that guarantees students meaningful employment within their first six months post-graduation through participation in programming created or supported by King's University College. For students not gaining employment after six months, King’s will guarantee additional undergraduate courses and career preparation for up to one-year post-graduation.
• King’s offers on-campus employment and the Work Study program, which offers students the opportunity to work flexible hours on campus in jobs that accommodate their schedules. The main objective of the Work Study program is to provide a regular source of income to students in financial need, lessening their overall debt load.
• The King’s Job Shadow Program is launching in the 2021-2022 academic year. Over the Winter Reading Week, students will job shadow over two consecutive days with a matched employer. This allows students to get a feel for a typical day within a career or industry of interest to them, while connecting employers to potential new hires from King’s. 
• There are multiple internships, practicums and mentorship programs offered by various schools and departments at King’s to help prepare students for their future careers.
• King’s is committed to internationalization and intercultural learning. King’s has exchange agreements with over 50 universities in 25 countries. Students can study for a term or an academic year while earning academic credits towards their degree.  Summer programs are also available.
• The CityStudio London is an initiative that connects post-secondary institutions with City of London staff to co-create applied projects and work towards a better city for all. In 2020, King’s University College joined the initiative in its first year with five CityStudio courses in a variety of disciplines, including Social Justice and Peace Studies/Political Science, Sociology, Psychology, and Disability Studies. 

 

As part of Canada Career Month, Canadians from coast-to-coast celebrating the importance of accessing meaningful work and all those that help in connecting people with their preferred futures. The 2021 theme “It’s Possible,” is asking students, Career Development Professionals, parents and others, to participate in a conversation about what’s possible.