Engineering at Alberta alumnus Emmanuel Domingo landed his dream job before graduating-thanks to the Engineering Employment Centre.
(Edmonton) Emmanuel Domingo had his dream job lined up before he graduated from Engineering at Alberta. Now, the civil engineering graduate is working as a structural engineer-in-training in Vancouver with Hatch, a global consulting firm.
And he attributes his less-stressful, successful job search to the Engineering Employment Centre (EEC).
"The EEC has basically started off my career because they answered all my questions and they had all the resources on paper to help me out," Domingo said.
Available to all engineering students and alumni, the EEC is the best resource for all UAlberta engineers who are looking for a job in industry, whether that may be a summer job or new-grad job. The centre provides free resources and services to facilitate students' effectiveness in planning their careers and finding opportunities.
Stacey Sayler, EEC Co-ordinator, of employment services, understands how difficult it can be for students to find a job. The centre does what it can to make this process easier.
Not only does it have a constantly updated job board and provides free information resources and materials, the EEC also hosts free boot camps and workshops to help students develop skills in: strategic job search methods, career branding and networking, writing effective resumes and cover letters, leveraging LinkedIn, and interviewing.
The EEC recognizes how busy students' schedules can be, which is why its resources are accessible to students at any time via the EEC Resource Vault.
Morgen Wells, EEC Career Services Advisor, remembers feeling overwhelmed with schoolwork and the looming transition of student to young professional. "Our goal is to help students navigate their career paths with more skill, knowledge and confidence," she said.
Sayler has seen a pattern of when students use the centre's services, recognizing that it tends to be during the final months of their engineering degrees, and recommends students begin using the services earlier.
The earlier students start thinking about the type of engineer they want to be and why, the more competitive they'll be in the job market as it will allow them to seek out the right opportunities to develop the skills, experience and connections.
While the EEC provides helpful services and resources, students must show initiative and apply the knowledge they gain to their job searches.
Domingo attended EEC workshops frequently and applied his learnings to his career planning, career search, resume and cover letter, and LinkedIn profile. And through the EEC, he learned that "if you want something, you can get it as long as you put in the effort."
Domingo utilized the EEC resources and was prepared to apply for jobs at the beginning of the school year before classes picked up. He applied for jobs in October and was hired in December. Then he was ready for the professional world and could focus on his studies when it became time for final exams and convocation.
"Putting in the effort to do it early enough alleviates the pressure of having to balance both and the worry of graduating without a job," he said.
Students using the EEC, its resources and its workshops earlier in their university careers are better prepared when it comes to entering the workforce.
And for those graduating this year, the EEC recommends they start job searching now as September is the busiest month for Engineer-in-Training and new grad postings.