Working remotely

Ways to set yourself apart:

Create a LinkedIn account (or update your existing LinkedIn profile)

This will expand your network,help you discover job postings and increase your chances of connecting with online recruiters. Supplement your profile by including internships, volunteer experience, and co-curricular activities like the Leadership Program or your involvement with one of Schulich’s clubs or teams.

Connect with industry professionals for e-coffee chats

Search for people on LinkedIn who have your ideal job title, or who work at a company you’re interested in, and send them a message introducing yourself. Once you’re connected, ask them if they would be willing to answer some questions about their role in a short video session or phone call. If you are unsure what to ask, here are some common questions to help you start the conversation.

Join a mentorship program

The Schulich Industry Mentorship Program can help you develop your networking and communications skills through real-world practice; however, it is important to remember that a mentor is not a recruiter or an HR professional, and it should not be expected that a mentor will find you a job. 

Know your strengths

Take a personality assessment to identify your core strengths, skills and values. The Gallup Strengths Finder assessment is free for UCalgary students. Let us know if you would like our leadership specialists to help you interpret your results by emailing schulich.leadership@ucalgary.ca.

Volunteer

Run for a position in a campus club, sign-up to be a peer mentor in the Schulich Student Mentoring Program, or contribute to COVID-19 relief efforts in your community. (On April 22, the Government of Canada announced that students who volunteer for COVID-19 relief efforts may be eligible to receive grant funding. Please refer to the Government of Canada’s website for more information.)

Expand your skill set

Brush up your Excel skills with a free online tutorial, check out this article from the Conference Board of Canada to discover what non-technical skills an employer might look for, or sign-up for a Calgary Public Library card (if you don't have a Calgary address, we recommend looking into the eLearning offerings at your local library) to access free online courses on Lynda.com.

Work on personal projects

This will bolster your resume and demonstrate to potential employers that you are able to complete projects independently. Start a blog or website, build an app, or participate in an online hackathon competition. If you have a great idea, but are unsure how to make it a reality, connect with the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking for support, resources and advising on next steps.

Create a full picture of yourself for future employers

Update your resume and compile a career portfolio to show potential employers. In addition to your resume and cover letter, a career portfolio might include evidence of your extracurricular activities (i.e. pictures of your team’s vehicle or reflections from a Leadership Program workshop), examples of projects you’ve completed, or quotes from people you’ve worked with (i.e. mentors, professors, teammates).