Make career engagement your New Year resolution!

Tomorrow is the official last day of exams for this term and I suspect that in the next week or so some of you will turn your thoughts to 2013. What will it bring? I’m not someone who diligently makes New Year resolutions every year – partly because if I don’t make them, I don’t have to feel guilty about breaking them - but I am happy to say the one I made for 2012 I actually kept. And that was to become an avid user of the Edmonton Public Library. I visit the EPL-Go in Cameron Library almost weekly and have saved a lot in money I would have spent on renting DVDs and buying books. So a big shout-out to the staff there.

If you’re trying to think of a resolution to make for 2013 that could pay big dividends, I suggest taking some time in the next few months to engage in your career. What does that mean, you ask? Simply that you spend some time not only thinking about your career but participating in programs and events that will expand your knowledge of your career options and your network of professional contacts. A fantastic opportunity to do just that is U of A Job Shadow Week.

U of A Job Shadow Week takes place during Reading Week but if you want to participate in the program, you need to register on-line between the 16th and 29th of January. Registering will give you access to our database of job shadow hosts from which you can select up to three. If you are successfully matched with a host, you will be notified in early February. One of the main benefits of job shadowing someone doing the type of work you’re interested in is that you get first hand information of what ‘a day in the life of a (you fill in the blank)’ is really like, and such understanding will help you make informed choices when opportunities arise.

CAPS offers a number of other programs and services designed to help you discover your career options as well as build your work search skills. We hope to see you soon in 2013!