work term in review-mobility opportunity
TRANSCRIPT
Work term in review-Mobility Opportunity 1.0
WORKBOOK
Work term in review-Mobility Opportunity 2013-2014 V.1.0 Produced by the Co-operative Education Programs of the University of Ottawa 55 Laurier Street East 3rd floor Ottawa ON K1N 6N5 Telephone: 613-562-5741 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.coop.uOttawa.ca https://twitter.com/uOttawaCOOP No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the University of Ottawa. This guide includes a number of links to various online resources, which were valid at the time of printing. Since links are often modified, we invite our readers to consult our online version for the latest URL updates.
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University of Ottawa, CO-OP Programs 1
WORKSHOP OUTLINE
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... 2
FACILITATOR’S BACKGROUND .................................................................................................... 2
WORKSHOP GUIDELINES ........................................................................................................... 2
WORKSHOP AGENDA ................................................................................................................. 2
UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA POLICY ON ACCESSIBILITY ............................................................. 2
ROUND-TABLE DISCUSSION: MARCO POLO PROJECT .............................................................. 3
ACTIVITY: COMING HOME ..................................................................................................... 4
REVERSE CULTURE SHOCK ..................................................................................................... 5
INTERCULTURAL SKILLS ........................................................................................................ 6
WHAT ABOUT NEXT TIME? ..................................................................................................... 7
RESUMÉ UPDATES ................................................................................................................. 8
CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................................... 9
RESOURCES ........................................................................................................................... 9
APPENDIX............................................................................................................................ 10
TIPS ON WRITING YOUR WORK-TERM REPORT FROM THE ACADEMIC WRITING HELP CENTRE ..... 10
NETWORKING ACTIVITY ........................................................................................................... 12
CHANGING YOUR JOB APPLICATION STRATEGY ......................................................................... 14
UPDATING YOUR RESUMÉ .............................................................................................................. 14
BOOK A RESUMÉ REVIEW .............................................................................................................. 14
THINKING AHEAD: STRATEGIZING FOR THE FUTURE ..................................................................... 14
DIRECT vs. INDIRECT WRITING STYLE ...................................................................................... 15
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INTRODUCTION FACILITATOR’S BACKGROUND WORKSHOP GUIDELINES
• Arrive on time • Play an active role • Respect others
WORKSHOP AGENDA Review international work term:
• Round table discussion • Coming home • Reverse culture shock
o Support • Challenges:
o Next time? • International skills inventory • Annexes:
o Updating your resumé o Work-term report o Some reading material
UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA POLICY ON ACCESSIBILITY The University of Ottawa is committed to recognizing the dignity and independence of all employees, students, faculty and visitors, and it seeks to ensure that persons with disabilities have genuine, open and unhindered access to University goods, services, facilities, accommodations, employment.
The University complies with all applicable federal, provincial and municipal legislation on accessibility and with the standards specified under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA, 2005).
Disclosure of disability:
Students will be encouraged to disclose disabilities and the Professional Development Specialists will offer students the opportunity to talk through the issues that disclosure raises in a confidential setting.
http://www.uottawa.ca/accessibility/policy.php
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ROUND-TABLE DISCUSSION: Marco Polo Project Purpose: Discuss and share information related to your international placement Rationale: By compiling and sharing this information, other students will have a better understating of what international work terms entails __________________________________________________________________________________________________
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ACTIVITY: COMING HOME Purpose: To assist you to better evaluate and appreciate how the process of adapting to a new country has played out for you personally and professionally Rationale: By reflecting upon your experience during your international work term, you will gain insight into the kinds of personal and professional changes this type of experience can bring about
Part 1 – Individually
1. Name something that has bothered me most about being home:
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2. What things have I enjoyed most about being home: __________________________________________________________________________________________________
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3. What international things (people, places, situations, etc.) do I miss the least since I have returned home: __________________________________________________________________________________________________
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4. Name international things (people, places, activities, etc.) I miss most from abroad since I have returned home
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Part 2 – Be prepared to share your thoughts with the larger group __________________________________________________________________________________________________
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REVERSE CULTURE SHOCK What is it? __________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Challenges/ how did you prepare to come back? __________________________________________________________________________________________________
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What can I do to keep adjusting to home life? Through activities with family, friends, community and University __________________________________________________________________________________________________
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RESOURCES Counselling and Personal Development Service 100 Marie Curie Personality assessment and guidance
Career Services 312 UCU - 3rd floor Volunteering Mentorship
COOP Office Volunteering Mentorship
Web resources
www.Myworldabroad.com (articles on re-entry)
http://www2.pacific.edu/sis/culture/index.htm?page=/sis/culture (What’s up with Culture?)
http://www.studentsabroad.com/handbook (reverse culture shock) http://www.international.uottawa.ca/en/outgoing/exchanges/return.html (International office)
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INTERCULTURAL SKILLS
List of intercultural skills potentially developed though an International CO-OP term *
Highlight the skills you feel you have developed or improved upon during this work term and discuss: Please use an
example to describe how or when this was manifested or demonstrated and include in your resume updates.**
Perseverance Flexibility
Independence Ability to work in a multicultural group
Second language ability Ability to work in a multilingual environment
Problem solving Demonstrated initiative
Tolerance for stress Adaptability without judgment
Negotiation skills Self-reliance
Motivation Enhanced listening skills
Sensitivity to cultural context Able to establish rapport quickly
Time management skills Ability to cope with difficulty and rejection
Accept responsibility for actions Clear written and oral communication skills
Can communicate across barriers Possess an understanding of culture’s complexity
Respect for difference and diversity Demonstrate self-confidence/self-knowledge
Sense of curiosity Ability to "fit in" to new groups
*Taken from: “What’s up with culture?” an on-line cultural training resource for study abroad http://www2.pacific.edu/sis/culture/index.htm?page=/sis/culture
**See the “What’s up with culture” online intercultural training resource for list of statements describing the above skills.
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WHAT ABOUT NEXT TIME? REFLECTING ON:
• What I could have done differently to improve my international experience?
o Tips for other students? ____________________________________________________________________________________________
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• What CO-OP could have done differently to better assist me in my international experience?
o Tips for the office? ____________________________________________________________________________________________
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RESUMÉ UPDATES ACTIVITY: USING DIRECT VS. INDIRECT WRITING STYLE IN YOUR RESUMÉ Purpose: To provide you with a sense of the inherent differences in direct and indirect writing styles. Rationale: As you advance in your career and gain pertinent experience, it is important for your resumé to reflect this change. Writing in a more direct style is a way to show that you have relevant experience. In the direct style, the verbs at the beginning of the phrase directly describe the action that took place rather than the learning that occurred. For the examples below, determine if an indirect or a direct writing style is used. How can you tell? Improved teamwork skills while interacting with fellow employees to create advertising displays. __________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Successfully developed new antibodies for use in breast cancer research and therapy by experimenting with antigen preparation and immunization routines. __________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Now, make these changes on your own resumé as soon as possible. Show potential employers that you HAVE relevant experience.
Make their work easier – they will appreciate it! See DIRECT vs. INDIRECT WRITING STYLE in the appendix for more practice with changing an indirect style of writing to
a direct style.
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CONCLUSION NEXT STEPS
• Reflect on work-term evaluation and strategize for the upcoming placement • Realize importance of your network and learn how to nurture it • For a confidential work-term report, you must get permission from your CO-OP academic coordinator prior to
submission • Write and submit the work-term report on or prior to the due date (see key dates calendar) • Update your resumé • Indicate your placement intentions and start applying for jobs, or refer to key dates calendar for official
withdrawal date • Attend job fairs on campus • Book mock interview as needed • Pick up corrected work-term report in late October at Faculty
GOOD LUCK!
RESOURCES CO-OP Office Phone: 613.562.5741 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: www.coop.uOttawa.ca Web resources www.coop.uOttawa.ca www.sass.uOttawa.ca
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APPENDIX
TIPS ON WRITING YOUR WORK-TERM REPORT FROM THE ACADEMIC WRITING HELP CENTRE
Structure your report logically Divide your report into sections, keeping in mind the type of report that you have chosen. This will help you present your ideas in an organized and clear manner. When you revise your report, make sure that the central ideas stand out. Structure your sentences properly Avoid run-on sentences (two complete sentences joined together) and sentence fragments (a group of words that has no subject or verb and expresses an incomplete thought). Make sure you use both commas and conjunctions properly when joining complete sentences or ideas together. ***Add symbols to indicate what is correct and what is incorrect I managed a number of projects. Most notably a communication plan and a marketing strategy. I managed a number of projects, most notably a communication plan and a marketing strategy. Use a clear precise vocabulary Choose your words carefully. Avoid vague or ambiguous language; be direct and clear. Avoid informal language such as slang, unnecessary abbreviations and clichés. ***Add symbols to indicate what is correct and what is incorrect I went to a workshop on fundraising. I participated in a workshop on fundraising. Ensure subject/verb agreement Check your sentences carefully to make sure that plural subjects agree with plural verbs and singular subjects agree with singular verbs. ***Add symbols to indicate what is correct and what is incorrect The administrator in charge of all other staff members are eager to share the workload. The administrator in charge of all other staff members is eager to share the workload. Maintain parallelism Use the same format for words in a series, sequence or list. This means using the same word type (adjective, verb, noun, etc.) and the same verb tense if possible. ***Add symbols to indicate what is correct and what is incorrect My duties included planning meetings, scheduling events, and I arranged several fundraisers. My duties included planning meetings, scheduling events and arranging several fundraisers. Check your spelling
Don’t rely on the spelling or grammar checking functions of your word processor. Check your text yourself. Leave some time after writing for revision, and revise more than once.
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Punctuate correctly Make sure to check for missing or incorrect punctuation, such as absent apostrophes or misplaced semicolons. Consult a grammar handbook if necessary. ***Add symbols to indicate what is correct and what is incorrect On my supervisor’s recommendation; I tried a new strategy. On my supervisor’s recommendation, I tried a new strategy. Eliminate homophone errors Pay attention to words that sound the same but have different spellings and meanings, especially common errors, such as “it’s/its,” “they’re/their/there” and “you’re/your.” Homophone mistakes will not be caught by the spelling or grammar checking function in a word processor. ***Add symbols to indicate what is correct and what is incorrect I updated the database and increased it’s efficiency. I updated the database and increased its efficiency. Cite your references Any information from a source must be referenced by adding it to the bibliography at the end of your report and putting a parenthetical citation in the body of your text. Use the same format for all citations. Proper citation and referencing is vital to avoid plagiarism. Revision checklist
◊ I have followed all the requirements and instructions from my faculty or department when writing my report. ◊ I have structured my report logically. ◊ I have constructed my sentences properly. ◊ I have used clear and precise vocabulary. ◊ I have ensured subject/verb agreement in my report. ◊ I have maintained parallelism. ◊ I have checked my spelling. ◊ I have punctuated correctly. ◊ I have eliminated homophone errors. ◊ I have correctly cited my references.
COME AND SEE US!
Come and see us to discuss your resumé or your work-term report. The Academic Writing Help Centre (AWHC)
offers one-on-one appointments with writing advisors, as well as a range of
other services and resources.
110 University 613.562.5601
www.sass.uOttawa.ca/writing [email protected]
Work-term reports and guidelines: www.coop.uOttawa.ca/en/en-coop-students/en-wt-guidelines.asp CO-OP Academic Coordinators list: www.coop.uOttawa.ca/en/en-contact-us/en-cc.asp
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NETWORKING ACTIVITY Purpose: To get you thinking about your developing professional network. Rationale: To keep your network healthy and growing you need to nurture it, by staying in touch with supervisors, colleagues, fellow volunteers, etc. Who is in your network?
Individually, spend time completing the table below:
Name of contact Title Relationship to you Contact information
Name three ways these people have assisted you in your professional development.
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GROWING YOUR NETWORK How can you “grow” your network? • While in school?
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• While in placement? _______________________________________________________________________________________________
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• While volunteering? _______________________________________________________________________________________________
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Are there other ways of expanding your network? __________________________________________________________________________________________________
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How can you ensure these people remain in your network?
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CHANGING YOUR JOB APPLICATION STRATEGY
UPDATING YOUR RESUMÉ
Purpose: To verify that all-important resumé details have been updated and revised.
Rationale: The resumé is a document that is under constant revision. While greater experience adds to each individual’s candidacy it does not replace the need for revisions and updates. Check:
• Security clearance field updated • Mobility index • Recent work term added • Look for direct vs. indirect writing style • Updated year of study • Old information deleted or modified to better reflect what employers in your field are looking for • New reference(s) added • Action words used • First-person pronouns removed • No spelling or grammar errors • Accomplishments added
BOOK A RESUMÉ REVIEW Contact the CO-OP Office at [email protected] or at 613.562.5741
THINKING AHEAD: STRATEGIZING FOR THE FUTURE
• How will you write your resumé to support your career objectives? • What types of jobs will you apply for to develop your knowledge, skills, and abilities? • How will you market yourself in interviews to increase your competitive advantage? • How will you write your work-term objectives to increase your professional development?
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DIRECT vs. INDIRECT WRITING STYLE
A few examples:
1. Developed research skills while experimenting to induce animals' immune system to respond to a weak antigen.
(indirect) Experimented induction of animals’ immune system to respond to a weak antigen (direct)
2. Built teamwork skills while developing, in collaboration with others, a novel assay which identifies the antibodies' ability to bind to live, and intact tumor cells. (indirect)
Developed, in collaboration with others, a novel assay which identifies the antibodies’ ability to bind to live and intact tumor cells (direct)
3. Developed communication skills while building a large loyal client base through personal attention, quality service, and consistent follow-through on identified problems and complaints. (indirect) Built a large loyal client base through personal attention, quality service and consistent follow through on identified problems and complaints (direct)
A few to try on your own:
Enhanced safe working knowledge and skills while conducting advice visits to hazardous and mixed waste generators to review procedures, labelling practices, and adherence to accumulation time limits. __________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Demonstrated strong attention to detail while analyzing incoming and outgoing memoranda, submissions and reports and preparing and co-coordinating the preparation and submission of summary briefs and reports to executives, committees and boards of directors. __________________________________________________________________________________________________
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Developed communication skills while handling media relations and providing an accurate and concise portrayal of the organization’s positions on current issues. __________________________________________________________________________________________________
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