TRANSITION TO CAREER ACTIVITY
The activity suggested in this section are designed to help you and your mentee clarify career goals and understanding which stage your mentee is at.
You may complete some of these activities in person with your mentees, or through phone and e-mail conversations. For other activities, your mentee might want to do some personal reflection first and discuss her ideas with you later. Discuss what works best for both of you.
Both you and your mentees can make suggestions and offer ideas for activities that will help get the conversation going, give you a chance to model professional behaviour, provide opportunities for you to offer concrete guidance and advice, or spark discussion.
THE CAREER-DEVELOPMENT CONTINUUM
Knowing where your mentee falls within the career development continuum will help you and your mentee set and achieve reasonable goals.
If your mentee is unsure of her career goals:
defining clear career options is a viable objective. Together you can explore options, discuss paths, and brainstorm possibilities for the future.
If your mentee has already started to build a career:
learning how to craft a resumé or meet industry professionals would be appropriate goals. Together you can explore the realities of the industry, review your mentee’s resumé, and spend a morning at your place of work.
The following list of statements helps mentees place themselves on the career-development continuum. Have your mentee select the career development goals that are most important to her now.
- I need to explore the types of work that are right for me.
I need to generate career options that spark my interest.
I want to identify the types of careers that match my skills, interests, values and personality. - I want to find out what I can do with my degree.
I’d like to know how to meet and ask questions of people who have first-hand experience with a career option that I am exploring.
I want to identify the types of careers that match my skills, interests, values and personality. - I want to know how to gain career-related experience and find job openings.
I need to know how to uncover opportunities before they are advertised.
I want to feel comfortable networking with employers and gaining experience. - I want to improve my resumé and cover letter writing skills.
I need to match my skills and accomplishments to a particular opportunity and express them persuasively in a resumé, cover letter and other self-marketing tools.
It would be helpful to receive constructive feedback on how to improve my resumé. - I want to improve my job interview skills.
I need to feel confident answering commonly-asked interview questions.
It would be helpful to receive feedback on my interview skills from a professional. - I want to learn about what employers expect from me once I’m hired.
I need to develop strong communication skills that will help me function effectively as an employee and team member.
I would feel more confident if I had a better idea of the experiences that I might face in a new job. I want to be clear on my rights and responsibilities as an employee.
After you have reviewed the career-development goals with your mentee, review the six categories in the career continuum below and identify where your mentee is located on the continuum.
1. You’re not sure what interests you, what you’re good at, or what would suit you well. You don’t feel that you know much about the work world.
2. You have some idea of what you want to do, but you need to find out more about it. You would like to explore related career options.
3. You know what you want to do, but you need to gain relevant work experience and start networking.
4. You know what you want to do and you have relevant experience, but you need to learn how to present it professionally in a resumé and cover letter.
5. You need to learn how to present yourself professionally in interviews, and how to demonstrate that your skills and accomplishments relate to each opportunity that you pursue.
6. You know what you want to do, you have some experience, and you know how to present yourself professionally in resumés and interviews.
Each number in the continuum (and in the preceding questions) corresponds to one of the following activities, which mentors and mentees can complete together. Links to additional resources are found on Career Services’ website: https://students.ok.ubc.ca/career-experience/explore-careers/
1. Which types of work are right for me?
Mentees who are still researching possible career paths can generate career options by assessing their personality, values, skills, and interests, and by tracking opportunities available in a constantly shifting labour market.
Subjects to discuss:
The most interesting or enjoyable aspects of your work.
How your work fits your values.
The skills you most enjoy using.
Skills you do not get to use as much as you would like.
How your current work is a good match for your personality.
Future directions or trends for your field.
Try this: Defining Career Satisfaction
In this exercise, mentors help mentees explore criteria for a satisfying career. Mentor and mentee complete the following statements on their own, and then discuss their answers.
To me, career satisfaction:
- means doing work that…
- lets me work with people who…
- lets me use my natural ability to…
- is done in an environment that…
- doesn’t require…
- rewards me for…
- gives me opportunities to…
Look at how your answers are similar and how they differ. Discuss past work, volunteer, school, or extracurricular experiences that were satisfying, and other experiences that were dissatisfying. Work together to identify the common themes among these experiences. Use the discussion to help your mentee identify her top five characteristics of a satisfying career.
2. What can I do with a degree in…?
Mentees asking this question are ready to start exploring the career possibilities in their areas of study and related fields.
Subjects to discuss:
How you originally learned about your career.
How your current job does or does not relate to your degree.
What sources of information were helpful to you when you were getting started.
Some of the first steps you took to pursue this career.
Try this: Career Research
Help your mentee identify and research a career option using some of the online resources at www.ubc.ca/okanagan/students/careers/ (see the links under “What can I do with my major?”). Does this option fit her goals for the future? What are the next steps she can take to explore this option further?
3. How do I gain career-related experiences and find job openings?
Mentors and mentees can explore the broad range of opportunities that students can use to gain experience and make connections in a chosen field, including volunteering, networking, job shadowing, internships, and co-op programs.
Subjects to discuss:
How to create a professional network.
The value of belonging to associations and industry groups.
Conferences, workshops, and courses you have attended.
How professionals in your field hear about new opportunities.
The range of positions in your organization or industry.
Try this: Get Out There
Attend a networking event, conference, workshop or other event together. Help your mentee prepare for the event and discuss the experience afterward.
Links to how to conduct an Information Interview and network: https://students.ubc.ca/career/career-resources/informational-interviews
4. How do I improve my resumé and cover letter?
Workshops and advisors with Career Services assist students with creating professional resumés and cover letters. Mentors are not expected to duplicate that service, but many mentors can offer an employer’s perspective on a student’s cover letter and resumé.
Subjects to discuss:
What makes a resumé stand out?
How to target a resumé and cover letter to a specific company, industry, and position?
How to follow up after submitting a resumé and cover letter.
Try this: Create a Powerful Lead
Work with your mentee to draft a strong opening statement for a cover letter.
5. How do I improve my job interview skills?
Mentors are not expected to be experts on interviewing techniques, but they are encouraged to share their own perspectives and experiences.
Subjects to discuss:
Best and worst interview experiences.
Answering difficult interview questions.
Common questions and how to prepare for them.
Try this: Mock Interviews
Mentors can “interview” mentees so that they can practice their skills. Afterward, discuss the mentee’s answers and brainstorm ways to improve them.
6. What will employers expect from me once I’m hired?
Mentors can provide important insights into the “soft skills” required to be an effective communicator and employee.
Subjects to discuss:
Skills crucial to succeeding at work (e.g. communication, time-management skills)
Most impressive behaviours in a new hire.
Facing ethical dilemmas at work.
Conflict resolution skills.
Important professional skills.
For additional information and ideas:
https://www.monster.ca/career-advice/article/10-ways-to-be-professional-at-work-canada
Try this: Job Shadow
Arrange for your mentee to spend a day or a half-day shadowing you at work. If this is not possible, help your mentee set up a job shadow or work experience with another professional. Either way, spend some time after the job shadow experience to debrief.
While shadowing you, your mentee can learn:
- What a typical day at work is like
- How a meeting is run
- Ways to communicate with colleagues in person, online, and on the phone
- Techniques and tools for managing time
- Trends/opportunities: newsletters, professional associations, online forums, or events.