RESOURCES FOR YOUR JOURNEY
A little preparation.
A world of possibility.
Practical tools to help you choose an experience, step into it with confidence and explain what you learned.
OPEN. PRACTICAL. MADE AT TRU.
Two books.
A companion for every stage.
Free to read online, with activities you can work through at your own pace. Both are edited by Jamie Noakes with contributions from TRU career educators and colleagues.
START HERE · UPDATED SECOND EDITION
Launching Your Career
Move from career exploration to applications and workplace learning. The expanded edition includes intercultural communication, workplace barriers, Indigenous inclusion and professional ethics.
Read Launching Your CareerPrefer an offline copy? Choose EPUB or PDF under “Download this book” on the book’s home page.
THE ORIGINAL EDITION
University to Career
Creating a Successful Transition. Explore your strengths, plan your goals, prepare application documents and connect volunteering and work experience to your learning.
Read University to CareerUseful for following an existing course reading or revisiting activities from the first edition.
Both books are openly licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0, except where otherwise noted. Full author credits and any exceptions appear in each book. Read about the second edition.
CHOOSE WHAT YOU NEED TODAY
Small steps. Meaningful progress.
These tools support co-op, practicums, projects and broader experiential learning such as volunteering, clubs and student leadership. Your program coordinator can confirm the requirements of a specific WIL experience.
Before you begin
Explore what fits, prepare your application and confirm the details.
KNOW YOURSELF
Start with your strengths
Use self-assessment and goal setting to connect your interests with a learning opportunity.
MAKE YOUR APPLICATION
Tell your story clearly
Build a résumé, prepare examples and practise explaining what you can contribute.
FIND AN OPPORTUNITY
Explore, ask and apply
Browse the directory, check co-op eligibility and use Career Connections for postings, appointments and events. A TRU account may be required.
During your experience
Build relationships, ask for feedback and keep track of your learning.
SETTLE INTO THE ROLE
Prepare for your first days
Discuss expectations, supervision and learning goals. Use the textbook’s workplace preparation activities to plan your approach.
WORK WITH OTHERS
Communicate with care
Explore how culture shapes workplace communication and how ethical questions can arise in professional life.
MAKE ROOM TO SUCCEED
Plan for access and inclusion
Explore accessibility, accommodations and Indigenous inclusion. Discuss your own circumstances with the appropriate TRU support team.
Reflect & move forward
Turn your experience into a clear example of what you can do.
MAKE SENSE OF IT
Connect doing with learning
Use the reflection activities in the original textbook’s volunteering chapter, whether you volunteered, led a club or contributed to a community project.
SHOW YOUR GROWTH
Build evidence for your next step
Update your résumé with an example of your contribution. Prepare a short story about the situation, your actions, the result and what you learned.
KEEP EXPLORING
Choose what comes next
Use what you learned to refine your goals, explore another role or prepare your next job search.
A FIVE-MINUTE REFLECTION
Capture the experience
while it’s fresh.
Use these original prompts in your journal or portfolio. Keep client and workplace information confidential and ask before sharing work samples.
- What happened?Describe one task, challenge or conversation.
- What did I contribute?Name your actions and the skills you practised.
- What changed in my understanding?Connect feedback and results to something you learned in class or a previous experience.
- What will I try next?Choose a specific next step and a way to tell if it helped.
YOU HAVE PEOPLE IN YOUR CORNER
Find the right support.
Before committing, confirm credit, dates, costs, pay, supervision, accessibility and placement requirements with your program.
CAREER GUIDANCE
Career & Experiential Learning
Get help identifying your next step or connecting with the right coordinator.
ACCESS & BELONGING
Career equity resources
Find TRU’s collection of career supports and resources for diverse student experiences.
INDIGENOUS STUDENTS
Indigenous experiential learning
Connect with Indigenous CEL support and ask about opportunities relevant to your goals.
INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
Plan your work experience
Use TRU’s international student career resources and seek advice on requirements that apply to your situation.
COSTS & FUNDING
Ask about financial support
Check current award information and ask your coordinator about placement-related support. Eligibility and deadlines vary.
UNDERSTAND WIL
See how your experience fits
Explore the relationship between experiential learning and the nine CEWIL Canada types of WIL.