Students

Top 5 Job Searching Strategies for Students and New Grads

Are you wrapping up your time at Algonquin College School of Business and thinking about your future?

It’s probably time to start thinking about looking for a career related to the business program you’ve spent so much time studying.

job search strategies

Job searching can be tough. In many ways it’s almost like a full-time job! You need to invest time into research and preparing for interviews.

But there are ways to make the job search process less tedious.

Here are the top 5 job searching strategies:

Job Boards

Job boards are a great to place to start looking for a job. But, don’t depend solely on this method; see the other strategies.

There are many websites where you can search for companies looking to hire. Here are a few of the most popular ones:

For most of these websites, you can (and should!) set up job alerts based on specific criteria that applies to you. For example, you could search for Ottawa jobs in Marketing, Business Administration, Law Clerk, etc.

Networking

Many jobs that are available are not even posted online. These jobs are usually filled through word-of-mouth and connections.

To find out about these jobs, you need to network with your connections.

  • Send around resume with a brief description of yourself
  • Tell your network what you want
  • Join LinkedIn and start building connections
  • Take part in LinkedIn groups for your industry
  • Join associations in your field

The more people you know and the more people who know you are looking for a job, the better!!

Cold Calling

In some cases, a cold calling approach works. However, use this approach carefully and really do your research in advance.

Research organizations you want to work for and send your resume and cover letter. Be sure to specify why you are contacting them and what type of position you are suited for.

Places to look:

  • Newspapers
  • Magazines
  • Associations

Informational Interviews

Informational interviews are an excellent way to learn more about a career and how that person got to where they are.

Meet with people in your industry to learn more about their experience and what they look for in employees.

Always research the person and company before your meeting. Come prepared with specific questions that can’t be found by a search of their site.

Be sure to send a thank you letter, card, or email to the person you met with.

Note: Do not expect a job out of the interview and don’t ask for one. The point is to gather information and build a connection.

Volunteering

Volunteering is another way to build connections and gain more experience in an industry and career.

Organizations that promote volunteer opportunities:

Or, see if a company you are interested in will take you on as a volunteer or intern.

Don’t give up!! Keep up with all these strategies and something great will happen!

3 Time Management Tips for Students

Time management is an easy concept to understand and hugely beneficial if properly undertaken. But like anything else, it’s easier said than done.

time management tips

Do you feel like your productivity levels can be improved? Organization plays a huge role in that. Do you sometimes get so overwhelmed that you don’t know which task to even start with? Don’t worry, every Algonquin College business student experiences this at some point or another. The good news is, there are measures that you can implement to put you in the right track.

1. Prioritize

Don’t be a procrastinator! Prioritizing your responsibilities is very important to your academic success. If you know you have a busy week coming up with important academic deadlines, it might be wise to limit your social events etc. Remember, there are plenty of other social events throughout the year, so you won’t be missing out on anything!

2. Be organized

First off, if you do not use a calendar/agenda of some sorts – start now. If you have a hard time organizing yourself, a calendar can save your life. From projects, to midterms to finals, school functions, social events…your life can get pretty hectic!

If you are a visual person like me, buy a large scale calendar and color coat your different activities (and highlight important deadlines!). If you are not a paper person, use an online calendar (ex. Google Calendar) to help you out! By having a calendar you will be able to pin point where you were wasting time and be able to improve upon that.

At the beginning of the semester, you are also given a day planner/agenda. Use this too. It is portable and if you are on the go and have to jot down something quick, it is at your disposal.

3. Don’t overload yourself

If you’re like me, then you like overloading yourself with a bunch of work and getting done as much as you can as fast as you can. But this method raises issues. Ever heard of the saying ‘Quality over Quantity’? This is a perfect example of that. Yes, school can be overwhelming and stressful – but overloading yourself is not the answer. Split up your work into time segments. So, look at what deadlines you have to meet first, which tasks are more important…and allocate your time accordingly.

Once scheduling becomes a second nature to you, you’ll be able to adjust your tasks accordingly. It is easier to find something to do with extra time then to find extra time to do something. It is wise to be cautious at first and then base your future time management decisions off of that.

What other time management strategies work for you?

Spotlight: Algonquin Accounting Club

Life on campus isn’t all about studying and homework, there are many ways to get involved, make new friends and network.

Algonquin College has many clubs on campus for students in all faculties, including the School of Business.

This article shines the spotlight on one of these clubs.

Accounting - Businesspeople working on charts and graphs

Name of your club: Algonquin Accounting Club

Who is your club for?

The Algonquin Accounting Club is for Algonquin College students that are currently taking Business Accounting, Business Administration-Accounting Major, Professional Accounting, and students that plan on taking an accounting course in the future.

What is your club about?

The goal of the club is to educate students on everything related to accounting and build networks with each other and Ottawa area professionals.

What types of activities and events does your club do?

The club will be holding events at the college throughout the year, such as, info sessions given by CGAs (Certified General Accountants) and CMAs (Certified Management Accountants).

How do I get involved with your club?

The way to get involved in the club is to send a message regarding your interest in the club to the president. Being involved in the club you can stay up to date on events being held by the club, learn more about the career paths available in the accounting profession, raise awareness around campus about the AAC, or apply to become one of the clubs officers and have a direct influence on the direction the club takes and the events and activities held by the club.

What opportunities do you offer for meeting alumni or professionals in your field?

Currently the club offers chances to meet professionals in the field through the events that we hold at the college, which would mainly be information sessions held by CGAs and CMAs. The club does have contact with past presidents of the club, and alumni and will be working on developing these relationships so that we can offer opportunities to meet and learn more from them as well.

For more information, contact Matthew: ward0187@algonquinlive.com

 

Advice to New Algonquin College Students from an Alum

Looking back to when I started at the School of Business at Algonquin College it seems like time flew by so quickly during those years.

I made some amazing memories and of course had my ups and downs, but now I just focus on all of the good memories I’ve made. I wouldn’t change my college experience for anything and want to share some of my tips for success.

new college students

Get Involved

Part of the learning during your time in College happens outside of classes. By getting involved with the various clubs on campus, such as the Accounting Club, you develop leadership skills that are valuable to future employers. You also can put into practice some of the skills you are learning in class. For example, you could join the Algonquin Entrepreneurs Club and learn how to build your own profitable company.

Meet New People

College is a great place to make life-long friends who share the same passions and interests as you. It’s also an opportunity to meet people who are different from you and share an alternative perspective on things. Take time for others and work on your friendships; these are what really matter at the end of the day!

Take Time for Yourself

Studying and holding down a part time job can get overwhelming, especially during exam time! Be sure that every once in a while you take a “personal day”. Take a break from every day tasks and relax. Have a pjs/jogging pants day and lounge while reading a book for pleasure. Taking these mental breaks will actually help you focus better on your studies. Just be sure not to take too many days off! 🙂

Study Hard

College can be difficult! Classes are harder than high school. It seems like you have more free time but that can be deceiving. While you should take some personal time (see above) it’s equally as important to be serious about your studies. You’ll be much happier graduating college with job offers, than your peers who skipped class and are sitting around on their parents’ couch.

HAVE FUN!

Above all, have fun! Get involved and meet new people, take time for yourself but balance that with serious studying. Enjoy every moment and look for opportunities to grow personally and professionally.

Algonquin Business Students Win GOLD at the 2013 Vanier College BDC Case Challenge

Algonquin College Team members (from second to the left) Andrew Thomson, Coach Bill Garbarino, Tara Sisson, and Jenna Collins. Photo Courtesy of Vanier Foundation.

On February 9th and 10th, 28 colleges from across Canada met at Vanier College in Montreal to compete in the 8th annual Vanier College BDC Case Competition.

This event is for Marketing and Management students and Algonquin College has always been a strong performer with a track record of one gold, 2 silver, and 2 bronze medals. This year’s team consisted of three Business – Management and Entrepreneurship students: Jennamarie Collins, Tara Sisson, and Andrew Thomson. Professors Bill Garbarino and Ian Anderson coached the team.

On the first day of the competition, the teams are split into three divisions. Each team is given a business case to solve. Teams are in “isolation” for 3 hours to solve the case (industry assessment, company assessment, core problem determination, target market decision and positioning, strategic alternative assessment, recommendation, marketing mix tactics to support the recommendation, financials, and implementation plan).

Each team then delivers a 20 minute presentation + 5 minute Q&A with a panel of 3-4 judges. The presentation is also in front of an audience comprised of industry people, faculty and staff from the various Colleges, other competitors who’ve completed their presentations. At the end of the day the judges identify the top two teams from each division who will move on to the medal round. On Sunday the top six teams address a brand new case, follow the same procedures, and deliver their presentations.

The Algonquin students had outstanding performances on both days. The judges noted their professionalism and enthusiasm. They presented strategic alternatives to solve the core problem and their marketing mix tactics were both practical and creative. Their financials and ROI calculations were exceptional. The team also had excellent interactions and really supported each other, both during the presentations and in the Q&A.

Jenna, Tara, and Andrew worked very hard to prepare for this event. BDC competitors are chosen from the members of the team that represented Algonquin in the fall at the Ontario Colleges’ Marketing Competition. These students submitted themselves as a team for consideration and participated in a mock BDC event in December.

Once they were selected as this year’s team, the real work began. They were given research to do over the holiday break and then 2-3 coaching sessions were scheduled per week starting in January. With only five weeks to prepare, the clock was ticking and they had to cover a lot of ground, in addition to their regular school work.

Clearly, all the time and energy the team and their coaches put into preparing for this event paid off. Everyone at the School of Business and Algonquin College are extremely proud of their success. President Kent MacDonald was one of the first to offer his congratulations over Twitter.


Congratulations once again to Jenna, Tara, Andrew and coaches Bill and Ian for a hard-earned and well-deserved win!

By: Laura Campbell and Bill Garbarino