Making the Transition
How to apply that piece of paper to the working world
Find a mentor. It worked for Jonathan Bélanger, BCom/09, who landed a job in the federal government after connecting with mentor David Darwin, BCom/72, at a Carleton networking event. (Tony Fouhse Photo)
Book smarts? Check.
Street smarts on how to break into your chosen field? Needs work.
Solution: Find a mentor. It worked for Jonathan Bélanger, BCom/09, who landed a job in the federal government after connecting with mentor David Darwin, BCom/72, at a Carleton networking event. As part of Carleton’s mentorship program, Darwin, a volunteer, offers advice to students and recent grads on everything from resumé writing and interview tips to an overview of a day in the life of their chosen profession.
Although mentors are not expected to provide jobs, Darwin tapped into his own network and forwarded Bélanger some leads that worked. “I didn’t have the connections before I met him,” says Bélanger, who has worked his way up to being an accounts-payable supervisor with Citizenship and Immigration Canada.
With 34 years of government experience, Darwin is highly sought after for advice on how to get a job with the Public Service of Canada—so much so that he has developed his own website with tools to respond to the recurring questions asked by students and alumni. More than 30 grads have contacted him for career advice.
Connecting with a mentor can help students and grads tap into the hidden job market, where an estimated 80 percent of the jobs reside. carleton.ca/career.
Written by Erin Sweet ( BJ/98 | MJ/00 )
Photos by Tony Fouhse
This story was published in the Fall 2010 issue. Tags applied to this article are: Career, Carleton’s mentorship program. Leave a comment, bookmark the permalink or share the following short URL for this article via social media: http://cualumni.carleton.ca/magazine/?p=340
