Career & Self Development: Proactively develop oneself and one’s career through continual personal and professional learning, awareness of one’s strengths and weaknesses, navigation of career opportunities, and networking to build relationships within and without one’s organization.
Humanities+ syllabus
Pre-Program
Video-recorded discussion #1
After your acceptance into the program, you will be asked to engage in a 10-15 minute video-recorded discussion with a member of the H+ team. This discussion will provide you with the opportunity to begin reflecting on the skills you are developing through your degree program, your strengths and weaknesses, and your career aspirations. No preparation needed!
Course descriptions
SKIL 403 – Placement Skills
Dates: January 17 - April 3, 2024 (11 weeks of workshops)
Time: Wednesdays, 4–6 p.m.
Through SKIL 403, you will be supported to start developing a “career development” mindset. You will reflect on your skills, strengths and values. You will also acquire the requisite skills to apply to, interview for, and engage in a work experience (e.g., a summer internship for SKIL 404.)
SKIL 403 consists of the following activities and components:
Weekly placement skills workshops (2 hrs/week)
You will engage in a two-hour workshop each week between January 17th and April 3rd, 2024 (11 weeks, not including March Break). These workshops are offered in collaboration with Concordia’s Career Advising and Professional Success (CAPS) team. All workshops will be in person.
| Wednesdays | 4-6 p.m. | |
|---|---|
Jan 17 |
Program Intro & CliftonStrengths |
Jan 24 |
Career Planning & Your Degree |
Jan 31 |
Lifelong Learning: Skill Development & Goal Setting |
Feb 7 |
Resumes |
Feb 14 |
Job/Internship Search Strategies |
Feb 21 |
LinkedIn & Networking |
Feb 26 - Mar 1 |
MARCH BREAK - No workshop |
CAPS Speed Resume Review - Optional |
|
Mar 6 |
Alumni Panel & Informational Interviews |
Mar 13 |
Cover Letters |
Mar 20 |
Interviewing |
Mar 27 |
TBD |
Apr 3 |
Informational Interview Presentations + Integration Session |
Weekly homework (1 hr/week)
Activities - You will be expected to spend time each week, outside of the scheduled workshops, to engage in activities that correspond to the H+ curriculum and workshop content (e.g. taking the CliftonStrengths assessment, revising your resume, conducting an informational interview, searching for an internship, etc. - all outlined below).
Reflections - Reflection is a fundamental career development and lifelong learning skill. A reflection question will be built into each week of this course. These questions will be posted in Moodle and you will be responsible for:
A. responding to the question with a short reflection; and
B. making a short comment on a response from one of your peers.
Personal Learning Plan (PLP)
The Personal Learning Plan (PLP) is a foundational component of the H+ program and you be will supported to develop one in this course. It is designed to support you in creating learning goals for SKIL 401 Digital Skills (i.e., the Digital Skills Bootcamp) and SKIL 402 Professional Skills. It is a “living” document that will change and evolve as you do, within the context of the program, as well as a tool to take with you beyond your time in the H+ program. It will be completed during the workshops and as part of the homework.
Informational interview
You will learn about and be supported to conduct an informational interview, as well as present your interview learnings to your peers at a session towards the end of this course. Through engaging in this activity, you will expand your network and gain insights that can help you make informed decisions about your future.
Internship search
During this course, you will be supported to conduct a summer internship search. The time spent in the workshops and on homework will include activities that contribute to your search (e.g., revising your resume, drafting cover letters, developing your interviewing skills, etc.).
The H+ team will share a curated list of opportunities with you on a weekly basis and will be available to meet with you, should you require extra support.
SKIL 401 – Digital Skills
Dates: May 8-10 & 13-14, 2024 (5 days)
Times: Daily from 10 a.m.–12 p.m. AND 1-3 p.m.
SKIL 401 is delivered over a one-week period (5 days, 20 hours total). It includes targeted digital skills training by experts on Excel and a design tool called Canva, alongside self-directed learning activities supported by the program and informed by your Personal Learning Plan (PLP, developed in SKIL 403).
|
10-12 PM |
1-3 PM |
|---|---|---|
May 8 |
Intro to Bootcamp |
Excel 1 / Self-directed learning (SDL) 1 |
May 9 |
Excel 2 |
SDL 2 |
May 10 |
Excel 3 |
SDL 3 |
May 13 |
Canva 1 |
SDL 4 |
May 14 |
Canva 2 |
Integration + Reflection Session |
Internship Search
If you have not yet secured an internship by this point of the program, you will be supported in your ongoing search. Internships can begin as late as early July.
SKIL 404 – Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Experience
Dates: May–August, 2024 (Specific internship start and end dates can vary)
Duration: 80 hours+
Please note that we do not provide internships. You will apply the skills acquired in SKIL 403 to help you search for and apply to internships with the support of the H+ team and your peers. The majority of students find that the program activities and learnings are very helpful for this process, and most students do find an internship. However, we cannot guarantee that you will secure an internship.
The internship
If you have not yet secured an internship by this point of the program, you will be supported in your ongoing search. Internships can begin as late as early July!
Once you have secured an internship, the H+ Placement Coordinator will connect with your new supervisor to establish an Internship Agreement and an evaluation schedule. An Internship Handbook will also be provided to you and your supervisor, it contains instructions and tools to facilitate a productive and smooth internship. The H+ team is available to support you throughout your internship as little or as much as is needed!
Weekly reflections
A reflection question will be built into each week of this course. These questions will be posted in Moodle and you will be responsible for:
A. responding to the question; and
B. commenting on a response from one of your peers.
Monthly Meetups
The cohort experience of the H+ program is one of its greatest assets. As such, a 1hr Meetup is organized each month over the summer (i.e., May - August) to allow you to reconnect with your peers and discuss the successes and challenges of your internship. Meetups will be fully remote, or possibly hybrid. Attendance at a minimum of two Meetups is required.
Mid- & end-of-internship evaluations
Both you and your internship supervisor will be required to fill out evaluation forms at two points over the course of your internship: at the half-way point and again at the internship’s end. These evaluations serve as tools to support your professional and career development. You will meet with your supervisor to discuss your respective ratings before submitting them to the H+ Placement Coordinator.
Video discussion #2
Towards the end of your internship, you will engage in another 10-15 minute video-recorded discussion. This discussion will comprise the exact same questions as your first video discussion. No preparation needed!
Final reflection
This activity will be the final requirement for both SKIL 404 WIL Experience and the H+ program. You will be given access to the recordings from your first and second discussions and invited to watch both. After watching, you will be asked to do a short reflection on your most significant or unexpected learning and/or improvement between the start and end of the program, in 250 words or less.
SKIL 402 Professional Skills
Dates: Flexible start and end dates (Must be completed before graduation)
Duration: 8 hours total
To fulfill the requirements of this self-directed, self-paced course, you will need to obtain 8 hours of professional skills development before the end of your degree program. The skills can be obtained through:
FutureBound workshops,
Udemy courses,
FUSION Skill-Development Curriculum offerings,
Other professional skills development opportunities approved by the H+ team. (This will be explained in more detail at the start of the program)
The Personal Learning Plan (PLP) you develop in SKIL 403 will guide you in choosing skill development opportunities that best suit your interests, career goals and needs.
Tools and frameworks
CliftonStrengths
H+ will provide you with access to the CliftonStrengths assessment as a tool to increase your self-awareness — an essential component of lifelong personal and professional development — and support you in your ongoing skill development throughout the program.
Career Readiness Competencies
The H+ program draws on the eight Career Readiness Competencies outlined by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), as a framework to support your skill development and personal/professional growth. Program activities and reflection exercises will support you in identifying and articulating how your degree program has supported you in developing these competencies, as well as how you can continue developing them into the future.
Communication: Clearly and effectively exchange information, ideas, facts, and perspectives with persons inside and outside of an organization.
Critical Thinking: Identify and respond to needs based upon an understanding of situational context and logical analysis of relevant information.
Equity & Inclusion: Demonstrate the awareness, attitude, knowledge, and skills required to equitably engage and include people from different local and global cultures. Engage in anti-racist practices that actively challenge the systems, structures, and policies of racism.
Leadership: Recognize and capitalize on personal and team strengths to achieve organizational goal.
Professionalism: Knowing work environments differ greatly, understand and demonstrate effective work habits, and act in the interest of the larger community and workplace.
Teamwork: Build and maintain collaborative relationships to work effectively
toward common goals, while appreciating diverse viewpoints and shared responsibilities.
Technology: Understand and leverage technologies ethically to enhance efficiencies, complete tasks, and accomplish goals.
Grading & credit
- All SKIL courses are zero-credit (i.e, not for academic credit).
- Upon successful completion of each SKIL course, it will appear on your official academic transcript.
- All SKIL courses are graded with a pass or fail. A “pass” is granted upon full attendance and participation in each course.
- Upon successful completion of the entire program (i.e., all four SKIL courses), “Humanities+'' will appear on your official academic transcript as well.
Attendance
Participants can miss:
up to three of the SKIL 403 workshops
Workshop absences must be communicated with the H+ team in advance. A make-up activity may be required. After the maximum absences are missed, the H+ team will request a conversation to see what additional support and/or accommodations might be needed to facilitate your continuation in the program.