by Ethan Paquet
Gaining professional work experience while you are a student is important. In our latest issue, we heard from Christopher Gillis, Deputy Minister, Priorities & Intergovernmental Affairs with the province of PEI, who says the moment you graduate, you are launched into a labour pool of people with similar education levels, so having some work experience helps you stand out and will give you a competitive edge.
“Co-op programs are an incredible opportunity to get professional work experience and to build your network. All throughout my career, my motto was: you have to network to get work.”
But while networking is a valuable tool in helping you find work, taking the right approach can be difficult. The people in our networks would likely go out of their way to help us succeed, but they may not recognize an opportunity that matches your desire.
This article featured in LinkedIn offers a solution to overcome this obstacle in the form of a networking letter. By writing a letter to the people in your network that includes information such as the skills you want to put to use in your next job, your ideal companies to work for, and your target job title, you can get the best use out of the network you have spent time and effort in building.
Check out our resource page for job search tips, videos and more!
