Welcome...and welcome back

On behalf of all the staff at CAPS: Your U of A Career Centre, I would like to welcome all new students to the University of Alberta, and welcome back those of you who are returning to continue your studies.

As you start the academic year, your career may be one of the furthest things from your mind. You might be surprised to learn that September is one of the busiest times of year here at CAPS. One of the reasons for this is that a number of employers looking to hire both new graduates for jobs starting next spring, and students for summer positions, start recruiting this month. Many of them will be attending Careers Day, our multi-discipline career fair, on Wednesday, 25 September. This is a great event not only for students who are in their final year to connect with potential employers, but for all students to learn about career opportunities.

The CAPS staff have been busy over the last four months planning our programming for the fall. A couple of new programs we have coming up are StartUp U: Focus on Entrepreneurship and Self-Employment and the Arts and Culture Career Crawl.

StartUp U will run from November 4th to 8th. We will kick off the week with Brad Ferguson, CEO and President of Edmonton Economic Development Corporation and U of A alumnus. The week will also include panel discussions on research commercialization, tech startups, social enterprises and freelance work, a workshop covering the nut and bolts of running your own venture, and a resource fair featuring campus and off campus organizations that provide education and support for people interested in self-employment. One of the best ways to learn about the benefits and challenges of being your own boss is by talking to people who’ve done it, so on Wednesday and Thursday you can ‘check out’ an entrepreneur from our Human Library. The week will end with Entrepreneur Connect, a networking event that brings together students and alumni with expertise in a particular area but who need the expertise of others. Think web developer who needs a graphic designer or personal trainer who needs the services of a marketing consultant.

The Arts and Culture Career Crawl is happening on 12 November in downtown Edmonton. Places we might visit include the Winspear Centre, Art Gallery of Alberta, the CBC and CKUA. If you are interested in a career in arts and culture, this is a great opportunity to hear from those currently working in the field.

So as you begin a new academic year, I encourage you to visit our website to learn more about what we have to offer. Better yet, visit us at one of our three locations in SUB, HUB and CCIS.