Book a one-on-one appointment with someone from the careers or experiential learning team to get the support you need. Some options include:

• Career counselling
• Career Access Professional Services (CAPS) for students with barriers to employment
• Job search coaching
• Experience building
• Further education support
• Global experiences
• Volunteer connections
• And more

Often, the easiest way to learn the truth about a specific industry or position is to chat with someone who’s been there. Sign up for a career conversation with an experienced professional who can provide guidance and advice on your career planning and goals.

To sign up, visit OSCARplus > Student Success Centre > Career Conversation and fill out an application profile.

One of the keys to writing an effective resume or cover letter is to get a second opinion and check that everything reads smoothly and makes sense to others.

Book an appointment to get objective feedback on your application materials from a trained peer. This will help you create a polished and concise resume that will resonate with employers.

Appointments are available on OSCARplus, under Student Success Centre > Appointments > Careers.

“Cover letters can be extremely intimidating as it’s not often clear what exactly you should include. This tip sheet gives you a clear format, detailing how to write an effective cover letter for job applications. It outlines key objectives and provides specific guidelines on what a good cover letter should include. I find it especially helpful because it highlights common mistakes and encourages you to customize your cover letter to make it more personalized and relevant to the job you’re applying for. Following this tip sheet can help you create a more compelling cover letter which in turn can increase your chance of landing an interview.”

“I was always intimidated by the idea of attending company information sessions because I didn’t know what to expect. I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to wear or if I was supposed to prepare anything. This tip sheet outlines exactly what you need to know to thrive at one of these sessions. It gives a clear explanation of the purpose of a company information session, offers practical advice about what to wear, and outlines what you should expect if you’ve never attended one before. After reading the tip sheet, you will feel more confident in your ability to get the most out of a company information session and be able to make informed decisions about your career path.”

“McMaster has a large international student population that may be considering applying for their first jobs in Canada. As with any new environment, Canadian workplaces have their own unique culture that may be scary and difficult to understand. Luckily, this tip sheet was provided to help everyone, not just international students, prepare to enter the Canadian workplace.”

“Under the Ontario Human Rights Code, employers have a right to accommodate for people with disabilities, but many McMaster students may not know what this entails. Reading this tip sheet is a great way to make sure we all understand our rights and responsibilities and get equal access to future jobs!”

“As McMaster students, we are in the perfect place to explore and create new paths for our future. Many of us may be unsure of what exactly we want to do in the future, but have a general idea that we want to help those around us. If this is you, mental health counselling may be a good field to consider, and this tip sheet helps to summarize all you need to know!”

“Understanding how ATS works and how to tailor a resume to pass through this digital
gatekeeper is crucial for job applicants to improve their chances of their resumes reaching
human eyes. For myself personally I wasn’t aware of how important optimizing my resume for
this was. The piece offers many practical tips, from resume formatting to keyword optimization, which are directly actionable and could make a significant difference in an application’s success. Given the increasing reliance on these systems by employers, this guide is an essential tool for job applicants to navigate the often unclear process of electronic resume screening.”

At the Student Success Centre, we provide individualized career support tailored to students enrolled in master’s or PhD programs. Our dedicated career counsellors understand the challenges and goals of graduate students and are here to assist you in making informed decisions about your career, education, and life choices.

• Career counselling
• Job search coaching
• Career Access Professional Services (CAPS) for students with barriers to employment

Book an appointment on OSCARplus, under Student Success Centre > Appointments > Career Counselling and Job Search Coaching.