Career Skills

About the Program 

Biological Science Career Skills is an optional, co-curricular career education program developed especially for undergraduate students enrolled in majors offered by the College of Biological Science.

Through this program, students learn foundational career development skills, apply them in a workplace setting, and integrate their experiences in a capstone project. 

Students complete this program through the Biological Science Career Skills CourseLink resource. This resource is fully asynchronous, which enables students to move through the content at their own pace, over multiple semesters. All undergraduate students in a CBS major are automatically enrolled.  

For each level completed within the Biological Science Career Skills CourseLink resource, students will earn a digital badge on their Professional Development and Career Record (PCDR).

How it Works 

There are three major components of the Biological Science Career Skills program: 

A) Career Foundations (Levels 1-4) 

B) CBS Flexible Work Experience 

C) Capstone Project 

To complete the Biological Science Career Skills program, students must finish all three components; however, there is flexibility in when and how they choose to do this. 

A) Career Foundations  

• Level 1 - Career Curiosity: Moving beyond a "job title" mindset to consider big-picture, interdisciplinary challenges, and how students might like to work on them.  
• Level 2 - Self-Awareness: Clarifying individual values, strengths, interests, and skills to plan for a fulfilling and personally meaningful career. 
• Level 3 - Research and Goal-setting: Using self-awareness to guide career research, evaluate options, and plan for professional growth. 
• Level 4 - Communicating Value: Strategically articulating skills and accomplishments in cover letters, resumes, job interviews, and networking. 

B) CBS Flexible Work Experience 

The CBS Flexible Work Experience enables students to develop employable skills in a workplace setting. To complete the CBS Flexible Work Experience, students must:

• Secure a position (either paid or volunteer) 
• Complete at least 40 hours on-the-job 
• Learn core principles that support inclusive and respectful workspaces 
• Identify relevant employability skills and plan for development through the work experience 
• Receive constructive feedback and guidance from the workplace supervisor 
• Reflect on how skills developed through the experience will support success in future employment 

C) Capstone Project 

Through the Capstone Project, students learn how to critically analyze and reflect on their career exploration, work experience, and planning to date. They will use this to create a professional profile to share as they continue to build their networks. 

Contact 

To get started, visit the Biological Science Career Skills resource on CourseLink. Contact Cara Copeland, Experiential Learning Coordinator (exp.cbs@uoguelph.ca) for more information. 

Please note: This program is currently in development. Career Foundations Levels 1 and 2 are available now. Career Foundations Levels 3 & 4, CBS Flexible Work Experience, and Capstone Project are in development. Stay tuned for an announcement (currently anticipated for the 2023-2024 academic year).