CareerTrack | ACCOUNTING SPECIALIST
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Develop Your Skills | second year Strategize With A Career Counsellor
You've met with a Career Counsellor to explore your skills, personal qualities, and interests and to target your career interests; now request a meeting to strategize your involvement in your extracurricular, work, and volunteer experiences for the coming year.
Where are the gaps in your qualifications? What skills would you like to develop? Where can you find opportunities to develop these skills? Check in with a Career Counsellor www.utm.utoronto.ca/careers/counselling.html to review your profile this far and brainstorm opportunities to further develop your qualifications. Biz Frosh
Biz Frosh is an Orientation/Welcome overnight trip hosted by UCS at the end of the first week of classes. It's open to 1st year students all the way through to 4th year and is a great way to connect with your peers. Contact the UCS for information.
Career Centre Library
The Career Centre maintains a comprehensive library complete with company directories, industry information, occupational profiles and educational information.
Visit the Career Centre, SB3094, to review their volunteer binder which lists opportunities to get involved both on and off campus. Appointments are not necessary for students wishing to access the print resources, simply drop by SB3094 and ask one of the Career Assistants for help. For a preview of on campus opportunities to get involved, start here Show Me The Green
Show me the green is an environmentally themed business case competition held in March. Students work in teams to develop and present their plans to alumni, business leaders, faculty and professional designation representatives. Participating in this competition will allow you to develop valuable skills, provide related experience for your resume, connect you with other students, and provide a venue to develop your professional network and reputation. For more information, visit here
Get Experience Fair
Tired of your part time job? Wondering how to fill gap in your skills profile? Frustrated by the paradox of needing experience in order to get experience? Don't get frustrated, get involved as a volunteer.
Students worry about "unrelated" experiences but the truth is, there's no such thing. Acting as the treasurer for a charity event will demonstrate the same attention to detail, organizational skills, and integrity that are sought in accounting recruits. Similarly, volunteering with a children's group, while seemingly unrelated, will demonstrate the teamwork, communication, leadership and ability to work with different types of people also sought after in accounting recruits. The skills and experiences recruiters seek can be gained in a variety of ways. Start exploring the opportunities available to you to develop your experience at the Get Experience Fair. This one-day event held in September will expose you to volunteer opportunities, internships, on-campus involvement, work-study/on-campus job information, international experience and the Research Opportunity Program. This event is an opportunity for you to get involved on or off campus, develop your skills, build new contacts, and refine your career interests. Make a difference in your community while developing the skills, experiences, and contacts you need to successfully meet your career goals. Work Study Opportunities
The Work Study Program
runs from September to March of each year and provides eligible UTM students the opportunity to gain valuable experience while working on campus. Eligible students are typically those registered in at least 60% of a full course load and who are qualified for an Ontario Student Loan from OSAP. Students who do not meet the eligibility criteria may be considered for the program if financial need can be demonstrated.
The Department of Management offers a number of work study opportunities centred around enhancing the student experience. If interested, watch your Blackboard organization in February/March for a call for applications. Campus-wide work study positions are posted on the Career Centre's job postings online on the first day of classes in September and all hiring is completed by the end of October, although positions are generally filled much earlier. Promote Yourself
Employers are interested in your combined academic, extracurricular, and work experiences. Show your initiative and ambition by actively seeking more responsibility in your various commitments. Consider getting more actively involved in on-campus groups in your second, third and fourth years. Elections for executive boards and committee chairs generally fall between February and April of each year, depending on the group. Volunteer for additional responsibilities in your volunteering roles. Become a key holder, trainer or manager at your part-time jobs.
Not only will you demonstrate your initiative to recruiters, you will also develop skills and the experiences to demonstrate these skills on your resume and in interviews. UTMSU Tax Clinic
The UTM Students' Union, in collaboration with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), provides UTM students with a free tax clinic in March of each year. Volunteers will be trained by the CRA to complete and file tax returns and receive a certificate upon completion of training.
Take advantage of this opportunity to develop new skills, connect with CRA representatives, demonstrate your ability to communicate with others, and gain related experience to discuss in your resumes and interviews by volunteering for the tax clinic. While the tax clinic is held in the second half of March, all volunteers must attend training sessions typically held in the first week of March. Visit the UTM Student Union's event calendar for further information. Professional Experience Year (PEY)
Apply to the Professional Experience Year to gain experience, explore a career of interest, develop your skills, apply your academic knowledge in a real world setting and build relationships with employers.
Positions last for 12-16 months and are open to students with 10-15 completed credits. Visit the PEY website for further information. Career Expo
Career Expo is a great opportunity to talk to recruiting representatives about the typical career paths available in their industry, to learn what skills, experience, and education are desired and get a head start on identifying your ideal career. Take the opportunity to build relationships with recruiters, develop a sense of the corporate culture of organizations you're interested in, and assess your interest in the field of accounting.
Don't limit yourself by focusing all of your efforts on the same few opportunities as your competitors, most companies in virtually all industries hire accountants. Career Expo is an excellent opportunity to expose yourself to companies outside of the Big Four accounting firms and increase your chances of finding a position. Dress professionally, research the companies you plan to approach and prepare intelligent questions, and get there early to speak with recruiting representatives while they are still fresh. See Employer Events Tips for additional suggestions to prepare. The Career Expo is usually held in October of each year, refer to the Career Centre's events calendar for this year's date. UTM Undergraduate Commerce Society (UCS)
UTM's Undergraduate Commerce Society (UCS) provides academic, social, and professional events throughout the school year to provide Commerce students with valuable networking opportunities. Online resources include industry information, an events calendar and newsletters from some of the top accounting firms. The UCS is comprised of elected executives as well as volunteers. Consider contributing your time to build your skills, network, and industry knowledge.
Student Government
Develop your leadership, project management and organizational skills in a capacity that will allow you to demonstrate your communication, diplomacy and interpersonal skills by getting actively involved with the UTM Student Union.
Elections are held second term with nominations falling in February and the voting period in March. Visit the UTMSU website for details on the elections process. Job Postings Online
The Career Centre's job postings online portal is a one-stop resource for access to workstudy, part-time, summer, and full time job opportunities. Employers who access the downtown, Scarborough and Mississauga campuses with work opportunities all post their jobs on this centralized database, as such, there are literally hundreds of opportunities available.
Register to use the job postings online at the beginning of each academic year and check listings frequently so you don't miss out on an opportunity. Drop by the Career Centre at SB3094 and talk to one of our Career Advisors if you have any questions about using the job posting system. International Studies
Learn about yourself and develop cross-cultural skills while earning credit towards your Commerce degree by participating in an international exchange. The International Student Exchange Office administers international and Canadian exchange programs that allow you to study elsewhere for one full term or a full academic year and are open to all University of Toronto students beyond their first year of study.
There is no disputing the global nature of today's economy. In addition to being a once in a lifetime experience, students with international experience will be very attractive to recruiters, particularly those with international interests or branches. Ernst & Young Career Premiere
Get an inside look at the people, methods and technologies of one of the top international accounting firms. See how assignments are met, apply the analytical and problem solving skills developed academically in a professional setting, and build your professional network by participating the E & Y Career Premiere. This event is targeted at 2nd year students so don't delay as you won't get this opportunity in later years.
PriceWaterHouseCoopers Take The Lead Conference
Take the Lead is a summer leadership conference for first, second and third year UTM commerce students interested in obtaining their CA designation. This is an excellent opportunity for you to demonstrate and further develop your communication, interpersonal, and teamwork skills while gaining valuable experience with one of the top accounting firms.
Placement is based on application process with applications due towards the end of April. More information will be sent to you via Blackboard in the Spring. KPMG Fast Forward Leadership Program
KPMG's Fast Forward program is targeted at accounting focussed students with 2-3 years remaining in their studies. This two day conference provides participants with an inside look at the firm and allows them to test and further develop their skills. It is an excellent way to meet and network with both firm representatives as well as peers from other institutions. Applications are due in April with the conference scheduled for July.
Deloitte National Leadership Conference (DNLC)
Deloitte's National Leadership Conference is targeted at first, second and third year accounting students who have displayed strong leadership skills. It is a three day event filled with workshops, team building activities and lots of networking opportunities for those who are successful with their applications. This event usually happens in late August but applications are due by the end of March. Visit careers.deloitte.com for details.
FASTrack Professional Development Series
FASTrack is an opportunity for students in their second year or higher to develop their professional skills and relationships. This initiative brings together faculty, alumni and students in a series of interactive sessions held on Thursdays from 12-2pm.
In previous years these sessions, jointly organized by the Department, UCS & the SMA, covered topics such as Leadership, Powerful Presentations, and Business Etiquette. Students who attend all sessions will achieve Director's Circle status. The certificates are awarded at an end of year reception with faculty, alumni and industry representatives in attendance. For information on this year's session topics visit the UCS website where FASTrack information is updated on a continuous basis. Overview by year:(click here to view)
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