Counselling and Support

Do you need guidance to help with your career exploration and career planning? Check in with us to get support and get answers to your questions. Our careers team is available online for drop-in chats on Brazen every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. These chats are short, 10–15-minute meetings where you can get answers about careers, further education or anything employment-related.

Meet with a professional career counsellor to address your concerns, explore your options, discuss your career goals and develop a personalized plan. We can help you build self-awareness and connect your values, interests and skills with exciting industries and career paths. Career counselling appointments are confidential and take place in a safe, welcoming space.

Career counselling tools

We use valuable tools in our career counselling appointments to help you reflect, identify strengths, understand your past experiences and more. Try out these tools before your appointment to help you get the most out of the meeting.

• Career Cruising: This career guidance resource features Canadian information on hundreds of occupations and educational opportunities.
• Digital Challenge Cards: This is a career discovery and assessment tool that can help you consider your career options based on what has purpose and meaning for you. All you have to do is think about which challenges you want to explore.
• Career Planning Essentials: This is a comprehensive, self-paced online course to guide you through the career planning process. Registration opens on OSCARplus at the beginning of each month. Go to OSCARplus > Student Success Centre > Events, and find the listing at the beginning of the month to register.
• TypeFocus: This tool includes personality and interest assessments and reports so you can learn about your strengths and personal preferences and explore your career options.

Career counselling appointment types

Get flexible support through one-on-one meetings over Zoom or by phone. (You can select which option you prefer when you book the appointment on OSCARplus.)

• Career and further education planning (50 minutes)
• Career and education information (20 minutes)
• Career Access Professional Services: Diversity and inclusion in the workplace (50 minutes)

Job searching is an important process in your career development. You may have questions about how to conduct your search effectively, including how to find suitable opportunities, how to prepare a successful application and more.

Through job search coaching, you can check in with our careers team to receive support during every stage in the job search process.

Job search appointment types include:

• Resume and cover letter critiques
• Experience building
• Volunteering
• Job search strategies and networking
• LinkedIn profile development and critiques
• Interview prep

Career Planning Notebook

A career isn’t something you find — it’s something
you develop and manage over time. The Career Planning Notebook can help you work your way through this process. Based on our career development model, this notebook will guide you to…

• Reflect on your interests and identify your personal skills.
• Explore your career and education options.
• Connect with people and opportunities.
• Develop skills and gain experience.

In addition to expert advice, student experiences and valuable resources, the Career Planning Notebook contains customizable year-by-year plans so you can track your progress, stay motivated and check things off as you go — because we know how satisfying that can be!

Through Alumni Career Services, provided by our careers team and the McMaster Alumni Association, you have access to career counselling and advising for up to 10 years after you graduate. Meet with an alumni career counsellor to support your career exploration, planning and goals.

If you have an accommodation need to book an appointment, please email careeraccess@mcmaster.ca. Should you require any materials sent in an alternate/accessible format, please advise.

• Accessible Involvement and Volunteering (PDF)
• Accommodations and Disclosure in the Workplace (PDF)
• What Is an Accommodation? (PDF)
• When to Ask for Accommodation (PDF)

Inclusive employment videos from employer and community partners

Panel: Student Success Centre, Dinstinctability, Specialisterne, City of Toronto

• Inclusive Employment Supports for Students with Intellectual Disabilities or Who Identify as Autistic

Discover Ability, Ontario Chamber of Commerce:

• Job Search with a Disability
• Job Seeker Guide: Getting Started
• Disclosure During the Job Search Process

Specialisterne:

• Re-thinking Abilities at Work
• From Home, to Action, to Impact
• Specialisterne Project Overview
• Employable Me Canada

Community Living: Ready, Willing and Able:

• Creating Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities
• Ready, Willing and Able Develops Inclusive and Effective Labour Markets
• Building an Inclusive Labour Force

Disability Justice Network of Ontario (DJNO):

• Disability Justice Network of Ontario
• Dismantling Ableism in Ontario

Hamilton Civic Centre for Inclusion (HCCI):

• Solidarity in the Wake of COVID-19: HCCI Anti-Racism Conference
• Gentrification in Hamilton: A Vital Signs Chat

Ontario Public Service Commission:

• Summer Employment Opportunities with the Ontario Government

Lime Connect:

• Telling Our Stories: Intro to Lime Connect
• Telling Our Stories: The Lime Connect Fellowship Program

Auticon Canada Ltd.:

• About Auticon
• Stereotypes About Autism in the Workplace

The CAPS team is working with Engineering Co-op and Career Services to support your employment needs and connect you with opportunities from automotive and advanced manufacturing companies.

If you’re an Engineering student who identifies as having a disability, you’re eligible for support through this program. We know the term “disability” covers a broad range and degree of conditions, some visible and some invisible, some episodic and some lifelong. Whether you’re registered with Student Accessibility Services (SAS) or not, you may benefit from participating in this program through CAPS.

The CAPS team provides individualized support to assist with all aspects of career development including exploration, preparation and the building of skills and confidence.

Let’s start the conversation so you can get connected with CAPS.