Right before graduation, you will need to think about making sure your coursework is completed and ready to apply for graduation, finding a job, apply for a work permit, and many more! Let’s look into what you need to prepare before graduation.
- Check your coursework credits
First of all, decide when you want to graduate. Some universities offer convocation ceremonies more than once a year. Decide when will be a good time to graduate taking into account hiring seasonality, weather at your ceremony, and also your vacation plans. Before you apply for graduation, you need to review your coursework and ensure that you have completed all of the required credits. If you are unsure, speak to your academic advisors.
- Apply for a Post-graduation Work Permit
Because you are completing a bachelor’s degree program, you will be given a 3-year PGWP. Since you can only apply for a PGWP once in your lifetime, you want to navigate it carefully. Make sure your study permit is valid when you are applying for a PGWP. Apply within 180 days after your school issues your final marks. Check out our PGWP guide here.
- Set goals & have a plan
You are about to go out there and shine but let’s first, set a goal for yourself. After you graduated, things can get overwhelming with job searching, dealing with permits, or even getting used to a new lifestyle. Set up S.M.A.R.T goals for yourself so you can be specific about what you want, when you are going to do it, and how you will achieve it.
- Build your candidate profile
You need to prepare your application and profile to be ready to apply for jobs. This includes having a professional resume, a templated cover letter, and a LinkedIn profile. If you are not sure how to start, we have free templates that you can use. Log in to Isempower to find all templates to get you started for free!
- Networking
The majority of the jobs in Canada are not posted. This means the more people you know, the more they trust you, the more likely you will be referred into a company. This is a time to reach out to as many people as possible in your area of interest and set up coffee chats to get to know what they do so you can build an even stronger application.
- Find a mentor
Nothing is better than having someone who has been there guiding you through the process. You should get yourself a mentor if you do not have one already. A mentor is someone who has experience in the area of your interest and has been through the same journey before. Having a mentor as you are job searching opens up your network, you can avoid going down the wrong paths and accelerate your job search process. Start with community mentors at Isempower.
Since you are graduating soon, having a support system that can help you throughout your journey and until you get hired is a must-have! Our Career Launcher Bootcamp is taught by hiring managers, recruiters, and career coaches. You will learn directly from them and meet with them directly until you get hired. Start learning at any time, check out the program designed specifically for international students.
