Advising
The skilled team of advisors at the Centre for Career and Personal Development is available to help you make the most of your UCalgary journey and to help you be better prepared for your career. We look forward to meeting with you.
Career advising
Access career advising to enhance your career journey through personalized advice. Our team can help you prepare for your job search, enhance your interview skills, and make a plan for your career journey. You can book an appointment, come for a drop-in session, or learn from a Career Development Specialist in a workshop.
Get assistance from a career development specialist
Kick-start career planning and develop professional skills by booking an appointment with a career development specialist.
The Career Development team aims to empower and guide University of Calgary students to find career happiness through coaching and self-exploration. Get support with:
- Creating compelling cover letters, CVs and resumes
- Building effective job search and networking skills
- Preparing for job interviews/mock interviews
- LinkedIn best practices
- Career planning and exploration
- Career assessments to identify strengths, skills values and interests
- Understanding Canadian workplace culture (international students)
- Using Life Design to address challenges and plan ahead
Ways to connect
- Don't have a resume yet, or need help making it more effective?
- Not sure what comes after graduation?
- Need help finding suitable career paths for your degree?
- Want to better understand your strengths, communication style, personality and interests, and how they can help you find a job you will love?
Get support with job searching or finding potential career paths by meeting with an advisor. Work together to build a career development plan, improve resume/CV, prepare for an interview, and much more.
To review a resume and/or cover letter with a Career Development Specialist, please bring a printed paper copy.
Begin by booking an appointment on Elevate for a suitable time slot.
Our regular drop-in hours (Tuesdays, in person, and Thursdays, virtual - 12-1:30pm) for Fall 2024 semester, conclude the week of December 9, and will restart the week of January 6, 2025.
For the Zoom link for virtual Drop-Ins on Thursdays 12-1:30, go here. Wait for a Career Development Specialist to greet you. They may be seeing other students. Appointments are typically 15 minutes in length.
Resume Rescue occurs on Wednesdays 12-1pm, for Fall 2024 semester, conclude the week of December 2, and will restart the week of January 6, 2025. Bring your resume or cover letter for some quick tips and advice.
Prior to attending Resume Rescue, we recommend viewing our Career Clips on Resume: Appearance and Format and Resume: Content and Sections. Also sign up for Resume Cover Letter Essentials Workshops in the CCPD Event Calendar.
Career Development and Life Design team
Talk to a Career Development Specialist for help with the job search or finding potential career paths. Work together to build an action plan, improve job search documents, or prepare for an interview. Connect with our Life Design Specialist to learn about how Life Design can help your personal and career journey.
Services and programming
- Assistance with resumes, cover letter, interview preparation, LinkedIn use and job search
- Guidance with self-assessments to discover your values, strengths, interests and aptitudes
- Advice on how your degree can transition into a career
Drop-in advising offers quick, on-the-spot support for students seeking career guidance. During these sessions, students can meet with a Career Development Specialist without scheduling an appointment in advance. Topics commonly covered include resume and cover letter reviews, job or internship search strategies, LinkedIn profile tips, or answers to general career-related questions. Each session typically lasts about 10-15 minutes, making it a convenient option for students needing immediate advice or feedback.
This flexible service is ideal for students who have specific questions or need brief guidance to move forward in their career development.
The Centre for Career and Personal Development offers a variety of free workshops to help students build career skills, gain experience and connect effectively with employers. Visit the Career Education - Workshops page to explore upcoming workshops and register.
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Browse online resources
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Watch a Career Clip
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Working in Canada
International Student Services (ISS) has Regulated Immigration Advisors who are legally authorized to provide advice on Canadian study permits, work permits, visas and Permanent Residence. To take advantage of these services as a current or newly-admitted UCalgary international student, or graduates within one year of convocation, please email ISS from your UCalgary email.
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Working on campus
A part-time job on campus can be a convenient option for students. This resource explains what is required in order to apply for work.
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Career-boosting strategies for international students studying in North America
International students looking to gain career-building experience in North America must understand how to showcase to employers that they have anunderstanding of North American business protocol and can build connections between the local and international culture. Academic training does not always adequately prepare students for the professional work environment. Learn how to plan, organize, work in teams and understand the politics of work and leadership.
Learn how to build experience with this PDF guide from MyWorldAbroad.
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What's your international IQ?
This resource describes what skills internationally-focused recruiters are looking for, and what it takes to succeed abroad in a multicultural team.
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Career Clip: Intercultural Communication and Career Success
How to improve communication skills to succeed in a diverse and multicultural workplace.
Career and Life Design Advising and Coaching
Leadership development
Interested in learning more about your leadership style and have ways to keep building your leadership toolkit? Join a leadership workshop today or email lead@ucalgary.ca to connect with our leadership team.