Complement Your Western Degree and Explore Valuable Work Possibilities!

All right – so you’ve accepted your offer of admission . . . . . what next? Summer vacation, lounging on a beach, travelling, relaxing, or . . . thinking about working?

It’s really never too soon to start thinking about work – whether it be a summer job prior to beginning university, or a part-time job while attending school.

At Western, your career planning can start as early as first year. There are so many ways to garner work experience, either to complement your program of studies, or to supplement your bank account, or both. A quick look at the Career section of our Student Success Centre site will provide you with a plethora of valuable resources relating to Experiential Learning, Community Based Research, Community Service Learning, Coop Education, Job Shadowing and Volunteering, to name a few.

If you visit success.uwo.ca/careers in addition to myriad career-related resources, you’ll find tips to help with future job searches and career planning, and advice to help you get involved:

• Explore campus activities – volunteer
• Learn about experiential learning opportunities
• Take a career assessment
• Talk to a career counselor
• Update your resume
• Attend career events

In addition, Internships provide practical experience to students looking to gain the relevant knowledge and skills required to enter a particular career field.

Internships are often the beginning of a student’s career path. However, internships are defined in many ways. They can be short-term or long-term, paid or unpaid, for academic credit or for a non-credit course. Some internships are mandatory and some are optional.

Check with your faculty to see if there is an internship option for your degree program. If not, there are many opportunities to gain experience with organizations not affiliated with the university. Opportunities for internship work terms can be local, national, or international. Whatever your career interests, an internship may be just the right experience to complement your Western degree!