McGill Career Centre (CAPS) caps.mcgill.ca

Anie-Claude LamarcheCindy Mancuso

Catherine Stace

About CAPS• Two locations: Downtown Campus and Macdonald Campus• Five department specific career centres/advisors: Law,

Management, Medicine, Engineering, and Education• Main services: Career Advising & Job search• 18 staff (7 career advisors, 3 student positions)• Funded through Student Service fees • 3 career advisor positions and 1 career resource position are

funded through the MELS fundSome stats (2006-2007)• Posted 7000+ jobs last year

• Serviced 30,700 Students (all faculties)– Undergraduate advising appointments: 2008– Graduate advising appointments: 868

• 17 events targeted to specific Arts departments

Arts advising team

UNDERGRADS• Anie-Claude Lamarche

• Département de langues et littératures françaises and Arts (Social Sciences)

• Catherine Stace• Math & Stats,

Linguistics, Geography, Arts (Social Sciences)

• Cindy Mancuso• Arts (Humanities),

Language & Literature, Psychology

GRAD STUDENTS (Master, PhD, and Post Docs)

• Susan Molnar• Lorna MacEachern

What we’ve learned about Art Students including their needs

and concerns• No direct career path • Have many career myths• Often feel lost and unprepared

for the world of work • Difficulty identifying their

marketable skills• Difficulty translating their

interests and skills into career options

• Little knowledge of career possibilities and industries

• Tend to undervalue their education

• See Graduate studies as the only way to get a “good job”

• Tend to enjoy their program of choice

• Often have interesting experiences beyond school (therefore have a well rounded profile)

• Often engaged in extra-curricular activities and volunteering

• Tend to be flexible• Work well with feedback

CAPS Services for Undergrads

Individual advisingCV drop-in 5 days a weekPrograms• PACE (in partnership with counselling service)• Job Search Club• Mentor Program (in partnership with alumni association)

Workshops• 50+ general workshops a year (e.g.: CV writing,

interview skills, cold calling,…)• Targeted workshops for specific departments (e.g.: “What

can I do with my English Degree?”)

CAPS Services for Undergrads

Events• Career Week (November): Panel discussions and

specialized workshops• Career Month - Backpack to Briefcase (in partnership with

Alumni association) Company Information Sessions, specialized and targeted workshops and panel discussions (work with student associations)

Career Fairs: • Non-Profit & Public Service Fair, Social Work,

Management

Job PostingsCapscoop

Services for Graduate Students

• Individual advising• Monthly newsletter• Graduate career week• Workshops (general and targeted)• “Artist Among Us” event (Redpath Museum –

March 14th)• PhD support group (in partnership with

counselling services)• PACE for Grads (in partnership with counselling

services)• CV drop-in twice a week• Faculty recruitment campaign (simulation hiring

committee)

The challenges we face and how you can help

Challenges:• Being known by students,

faculty and staff• Making connections with

individual departments• Reaching students early

on in their career at McGill

• Attaining a level of commitment from students (e.g. numbers attending workshops and panels)

How you can help:• Become a career

partner• Encourage your student

association to contact us – Assign a departmental

contact person• Ensure that your

departmental advisor knows of CAPS

• Promote CAPS to any organization in which you are involved

• Give us feedback and suggestions

Thank you&

Happy Holidays