Brescia University

FAQs & Myths

It’s completely normal to have lots of questions when it comes to your career and your future. In the Student Life Centre, we can help you navigate this and encourage you to make a career appointment to talk with us. Remember: Your path is completely unique and there is no singular, linear way to get your destination. Let’s get started!

What can I do with my degree?
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Anything and everything! Regardless of your discipline, when you graduate you will be equipped with a multitude of transferable skills. While you are studying at Brescia, we strongly encourage you to spend time building your experience by getting involved on campus, volunteering in the community, taking courses with experiential learning components, etc.

A degree alone is not enough to prepare you for the transition into the workplace—it is one piece of the puzzle when making decisions about your career.

The key is to learn about the career planning process and to start early. We recommend you attend a career planning session for more on how to begin this process. You are also welcome to arrange an appointment with one of our Student Life career advisors to speak about your individual situation.

How can you help me find a job?
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We have sessions and tools to help you conduct an effective job search. Of course, there is more to the job search than simply searching. With our support, you will assess and articulate your interests, skills, values, and personal style; learn how to network; become aware of the ‘hidden job market’; develop good resume and cover letter writing skills; and prepare well for an interview.
How am I supposed to decide on one career for the rest of my life? 
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You’re not! Today, most people experience more than one career in their lifetime. Over time you will grow, your skills will grow, your experiences will develop, your interests evolve, and your priorities change. It’s perfectly reasonable–and very likely–to expect your career options and choices to change throughout your life.

Career development is a process–-a journey. If you’re willing to commit the time to doing the personal work, we’re committed to helping you and preparing you along the way as best we can.

Will a career assessment tell me what to do? 
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Many career assessments will give you career options to consider that are related to your interests, skills, values and personality. But no assessment can tell you what career to choose. Use this experience to generate options!

Assessments can provide you with additional information that may be helpful as one part of the career planning process. No test, however, can tell you what to do with your life or serve up the “perfect” career match. Assessments take a sample of certain kinds of knowledge or attitudes and draw conclusions based on the sample. Test results can be confounded by many things: cultural differences, unrepresentative samples, and unintentionally biased items, to name a few. Use assessments with caution, and critically examine test results with a career advisor in terms of your own experience and knowledge. You know yourself the best.

How will being involved help me get a job after graduation? 
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Why wait until after graduation to start your career journey? As a Brescia student, you can get involved in campus work and student leadership opportunities that will help you develop transferable skills and experiences that are invaluable to your post-graduation work search.

Consider that some involvements require more time commitment, yet they also likely provide deeper opportunities for personal growth, skill development, responsibility, and learning.

Other involvements require lower time investment, such as volunteering at an event or simply participating. These provide the chance for you to meet people, try out an experience, and determine your involvement interests.

Why should I get involved as a student?
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Choosing to be involved will enrich your time at Brescia in so many ways. Making personal connections with faculty, staff, and other students, and being in the loop about campus events and experiences will transform Brescia into a place and space that’s yours. Getting involved gives you many opportunities to explore new interests, develop skills, enhance your academic pursuits, and have an impact on the Brescia community. 

So, we ask you: Why NOT get involved?!

Do you help alumnae? 
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We support recent Brescia graduates, up to one year after graduation. As a recent grad and new alumna, you can receive the following support:

Unlimited access to our career-related programs, events, & initiatives, such as:

  • Career workshops and panels
  • Resume and cover letter critiques from our trained Career Peers
  • Access to our Employment & Volunteer Postings online service
  • One-on-one career appointments

Myths

My degree equals a career.
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MYTH: A degree is the price of admission into today's labour market. It's not an automatic, guaranteed job. It will give you a necessary qualification and transferrable competencies that help you enter the job market. But the experiences you pursue, engage in, and create while you're getting your degree--those give meaning and value to your degree, which will translate into your life beyond university.

Be intentional about how you spend your time developing your skills, applying your learning, trying new things, and making meaning of your experiences while you're a student. When it comes to your career journey, it all counts!

If I wait long enough, the right career will find me.
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MYTH: It is unlikely that you will "bump into" a career that will perfectly match your skills and interests or fulfill your most important values. The more information you gather about yourself and the occupations you are considering, the more able you'll be to make wise decisions.

While it is true that some things are beyond your control and will influence your life, it's important that you take an active role and start embracing new opportunities when they arise--welcome the unexpected and be open and flexible. This enables you to get a feel for the different career options available to you.

I'm uncertain about my future. Does that mean I'm doing it wrong?
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MYTH: Uncertainy is extremely common at this stage of life, so don't worry if you're feeling directionless or questioning what lies ahead for you. Despite what you see in the media or the expectations you may feel are being placed on you, career paths are not a straight line.

University is a time of exploration, so let your questions, curiosities, and interests guide you. Take an elective course that sparks you, get involved in student leadership opportunities, meet with those working in a field you're interested in. Maybe you'll discover that you love public speaking, advocating for change, or developing programs that help an underserved population--you'll never know until you try.

Exploring, dabbling, and trusting the process helps you become more self-aware and gives you a stronger idea of what you want to do-- and perhaps even more importantly, what you know you don't want to do!