Take your next steps with the CCA

by Katie Schafer, Co-operative Education and Career Action (CECA).

October. Students are finally settling into a routine, Hallowe'en parties are just around the corner, but first, there was the glorious Thanksgiving long weekend. Many students, faculty and staff relish that extra day off after a busy September.  But sometimes Thanksgiving dinner gets them reflecting instead of relaxing.

Picture a table full of turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, with an uncle, who doesn’t ask to have the carrots passed, but instead launches an onslaught of questions about what the student is majoring in, what they’re going to do when they graduate, and what the economic prospects look like for all of the above.

This is not uncommon. Career Counsellor Jayne Hayden, drawing on her Master of Counselling Psychology from the University of Toronto, has been working with students through uWaterloo’s Centre for Career Action (CCA) on employment and career questions for over 16 years. Jayne explains why she thinks Thanksgiving is such a popular time for career questions.

“Especially for first year students,” Jayne says, “September is an all-new experience and is spent settling in to the first few weeks of classes. Suddenly, when things slow down and become more routine, students might realize that this isn’t exactly what they thought it would be. It could be that they are really strong in a certain subject, but when they get fully immersed at a higher level, it’s less enjoyable. As well, frosh week is intense, and Thanksgiving can be the first time at home with a chance to reflect and take a breath. Add in family members asking you questions that can really get you thinking, and the doubts that you didn’t have time to face previously can start to surface.”

Any faculty or staff member who sees a student struggling with these doubts can refer regular, co-op, graduate, or undergraduate students to CCA. Career Exploration and Decision Making Appointments can be booked online, plus students can register for these October & November workshops: the “Who Am I?” Self-Assessment Game, Career Interest Inventory, Exploring Your Personality Type, and Choosing a Major.

Jayne advises students to start reflecting on the things they’ve done (like jobs, course projects, volunteering, and extracurricular activities) and what they enjoyed and did not enjoy about each experience. “Start by thinking of something that you are really proud of, with the goal of getting to know yourself well and learning about your interests, skills, personality, and values (things that are really important to you).”

When students have questions about choosing a major, what they can do with their degree, how to get out of a program that doesn’t feel right or coming up with a plan B, Jayne and her colleagues support their clients through an exploration process. This typically involves exploring the factors influencing the student’s situation, so as not to jump prematurely in any one direction. Even students who are moving forward with a solid plan can use CCA services to confirm that they have made the right choice, or receive advice on how to articulate their specific skills, interests, and qualities in résumés, cover letters, and interviews.

Jayne adds one last piece of advice for students who have faced tough Thanksgiving questions, or want to get started on their career planning now:

“There is an answer out there, and you will find it. The more time, thought, and effort you put into exploration, the sooner you’ll find an option or even multiple options. This career decision will not necessarily be what you will be doing forever, as there is not necessarily one right answer out there for everyone. The newest stats indicate the people will have approximately 10-14 jobs by age 38 and three to five different careers over the average working life.”

For all students, staff, faculty, postdocs and alumni: it’s never too late to start the process. Just breathe…and then take your next step.

 

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President shares support for United Way

by Jacqueline Martinz.

The University of Waterloo's United Way Campaign started on October 1, and the goal for this year is to raise $240,000. President Feridun Hamdullahpur is confident it will be reached.

“This is a chance for our staff, faculty, and alumni to demonstrate their support for a valuable organization that helps different groups within our region,” he said. “The United Way provides hope and opportunity to individuals who are facing difficult circumstances. I encourage everyone to get involved and help the United Way continue to create positive change.”

There are a number of ways for people on campus to contribute including by cheque, monthly withdrawals, monthly payroll and pension deductions, or a one-time gift. A tax receipt will be given when a donation of twenty dollars or more is made.

The President believes the campaign team, which includes co-chairs Alexandra Lippert and James Skidmore, will do a thorough job of ensuring everyone is aware of the difference their donations will make. “With the pledge forms to events, United Way and University speakers, they are helping to spread this important message,” he said.

The 2012 campaign, which President Hamdullahpur was also a vocal supporter of, exceeded the $230,000 goal.

For more information, please visit the campaign’s webpage.

 

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New book investigates ancient globalization

by Arts Communications.

When professors Sheila Ager and Riemer Faber convened the first international conference under the Waterloo Institute for Hellenistic Studies in 2008, they may not have anticipated the outcome. But the conference, called ‘Belonging and Isolation in the Hellenistic World,’ has materialized five years later in a University of Toronto Press publication of the same name.

With a gala book launch and special visiting scholar’s public lecture planned for October 18, the Department of Classical Studies has much to shout about.

“We don't often get to celebrate our research through such an event” says Professor Ager, “so we hope members of the University and Faculty of Arts will join us for a guaranteed good time.”

The book, Belonging and Isolation in the Hellenistic World, consists of 18 essays written by internationally recognized scholars, all of whom are research associates of the Institute. “It represents the wide range of scholarly expertise needed for a comprehensive examination of a complex subject such as changing social identities,” says Professor Faber.

At the conference (and now in the book) scholars from disciplines ranging from archaeology to literature to social history presented their research and ideas on an ancient version of what we now tend to think of as globalization. In particular, they explore the tensions that arose from heightened intercultural exchange: “The broadening of horizons in the Hellenistic period would have brought with it an identity crisis” Faber and Ager wrote in the original conference invitation, “and a sense of being adrift in a world which had undergone a radical structural change.”

Pictured above are members of the Department of Classical Studies and the international group of scholars who contributed to the book.

While they acknowledge it is often a risky business to compare past with present, in the book’s introduction the editors report “… several contributors to this volume expressed the sentiment that similarities appear to exist between contemporary geopolitical movements and those of the Hellenistic era. It certainly does seem that traditional dynamics of belonging and isolation have reached an end, that the world is ‘opening up’ and that opportunities for new political and social alignments are emerging.”

Just preceding the book launch celebration, Professor Daniel Ogden, from the University of Exeter, will present “The Legend of Seleucus.” This lecture, which takes place at 5:30 p.m. at the Balsillie School of International Affairs, will explore the web of myth and legend surrounding Seleucus, one of Alexander the Great’s followers and a king whose exploits in what is now known as the Middle East fired the imagination of his contemporaries and of posterity alike.

The book celebration begins at 7:00 p.m. on Friday, October 18 at the Canadian Clay and Glass Gallery. Registration is required.

All are welcome to attend both events.

 

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Fall exam schedule now online and other notes

 

The Fall 2013 examination schedule is now available online. Examinations run from December 5 to December 20 this year.

Information Systems and Technology (IST) is hosting an open house on Thursday, October 17 to provide the campus community with an update on their Organize for Success (OFS) initiative. The update will include a high-level review of positions filled and IST's organizational structure, the next steps in the OFS process, and a view forward for IST. The open house starts at 10:00 a.m. in DC 1302, and all are welcome.

The Faculty of Engineering's Undergraduate Office is doing a little "FUNdraising" for the United Way Campaign with a 50/50 Draw and Candy Jar Count running until October 30. "Get caught with your hand on the candy jar...or make it easier on the brain and purchase 50/50 tickets," says a message from the fund-raisers. Each candy count costs .50 or 3 for a $1.00, and the 50/50 draw tickets are $2 each or three for $5. Both draws will be held at end of day on Wednesday, October 30. "Come see Nancy or Shirley in CPH 1320" for tickets.

In a similar campaign vein, WatPD will be holding a bake sale in the Tatham Centre lobby next Tuesday, October 22 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., with all proceeds going to the United Way. If you are unable to attend, you can still order a $5 or $10 mixed basket of goodies online, with orders being accepted until 4:30 p.m. on Monday, October 21. Deliveries of online orders will take place on Tuesday, October 22 between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.

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