Experience Building

Getting started

Learn more about the following opportunities and get started on OSCARplus (unless a separate link is provided), under Student Success Centre > Volunteer & Experience Building > Postings. Then, search by the opportunity name.

Placement types

Career Treks: Short-term opportunities to gain valuable workplace experience, receive mentorship and learn about a local industry. Many Career Treks with various time commitment requirements and work environments, including remote work, are posted throughout the year. Industries include marketing and communications, market validation, web design, business strategy, arts and creative, market research, data analysis and more. 

Experience Ventures: Make an impact alongside real-world innovators through paid entrepreneurial-thinking placements with McMaster-partnered companies. These are structured, short-term experiences that complement your academic study and schedule — including hackathons, challenges, projects, student-in-residence placements and interdisciplinary placements. Experience Ventures is powered by the Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking at the University of Calgary and is funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Innovative Work-Integrated Learning Initiative (I-WIL).

Digital Skills Program: Develop essential skills that are crucial for success in various professional fields, education and daily life. Get mentorship, guidance and work on a project to develop skills in digital marketing, content creation, data analytics, digital project management or email marketing. This is a paid (honorarium), short-term opportunity.

Summer Career Experience: Gain hands-on experience within or outside your field of study, and apply classroom knowledge in a real-world setting. Receive training and one-on-one support to develop professional skills, build industry connections and work on meaningful projects that contribute to your career development. Information will be posted in early winter.

Volunteer and Work Abroad: Discover global opportunities to develop skills and gain unique experience while working toward your professional goals. 

• McCall MacBain International Fellowship
• International Youth Internship Program (IYIP) 
• And more! 

Global Impact at Home: You don’t need to travel to make a global impact and gain valuable experience. Whether you want to develop intercultural skills, build global connections, refine your employment skills to be more competitive in a diverse workforce or support positive change in the world, there are ways for you to make a global impact at home, including virtual opportunities. 

• Universitas 21 (U21) Sustainable Micro-Internships 
• WACE Global Challenges 
• ThinkPacific Virtual Internships 
• And more! 

Renaissance Award: Have an idea for a meaningful project? Searching for a self-directed experience beyond the classroom? The Renaissance Award emphasizes experiential learning and creates transformative experiences for students from all Faculties and Programs. Applications are open from mid-October to mid-January. Learn more and apply on AwardSpring.

Micro-placements are one-time, focused work experiences that give you a snapshot of different professional environments. They can also help you build skills and explore career interests without the commitment of a full placement. 

Examples include:

• Conferences
• Job shadows
• Hack-a-thons
• Challenges
• Case competitions 

Learn more about the following opportunities and get started on OSCARplus, under Student Success Centre > Volunteer & Experience Building > Postings.

Career Conversations: One-time conversations with career professionals and McMaster alumni. They offer a simple, low-commitment way to engage with a mentor and seek guidance. Explore new career options, ask new questions and enhance your network Visit OSCARplus > Student Success Centre > Career Conversations to apply.

Mentorship:

• Collective Mentorship Series: A series of events to connect you with career professionals, entrepreneurs and McMaster alumni. Be part of our student mentorship collective, grow your network and explore new career fields! Events will be posted on OSCARplus, under Student Success Centre > Events. 

Guide to Work-Integrated Learning (WIL): Much more than a buzzworthy topic, WIL’s a chance for you to get on-the-job experience so you can develop skills and learn what working in the field’s actually like. Use this guide on Avenue to Learn to discover the benefits of work-integrated learning, how to prepare for these experiences and how to get the most from this type of learning.

If you want to gain experience while making a difference, then volunteering might be right for you. Volunteering unites students and communities through a shared purpose. Get involved to gain valuable experience, develop transferable skills, help organizations meet their goals and build better communities. Learn more about volunteering and how to get started.