Career Action Chronicles: Navigating a career path that’s right for me

Written by Sirisopha Khankhet

Hello fellow Waterloo alumni, my name is Sirisopha. I’m currently the Alumni Affairs Intern and a recent Waterloo graduate.

Looking back, graduation was a huge milestone and an exciting time in my life, but it was also daunting. You start to think about your future, and the unknown. Being in a co-op program, I was aware that I should have started job searching well before convocation. However, the craziness of fourth-year courses meant that I never got to it. As convocation came and went, the pressure was on to find a job.

Fortunately, I was successful in obtaining a position with Alumni Affairs and I’m so thankful for the experiences I’ve had so far. However, my internship will be coming to an end in September and I want to be proactive and take advantage of the one-on-one career advising sessions offered to alumni through the university’s Centre for Career Action. I’m eager to hone in on a career path and get new ideas and insight about career planning. I will be writing about my experience as I go, as well as providing tips, tricks, and information that may be helpful to you as well.

Whether you’re a new grad or looking for a career change, Alumni Career Advisors Tanya Gillert and Jayne Hayden are very accommodating and helpful. I’m going to be meeting with them in person, but they’ll meet with alumni over the phone or Skype.

I hope you’ll join me as I embark on this self-reflective journey as I figure out what type of career I’m most interested in and look for an understanding of how to get there – wherever ‘there’ is. It’s ok if I don’t find a definitive answer. I’m looking for guidance, knowledge, and a network that can help me on my way.

That’s what’s great about being a Waterloo alumnus. We have a support system in place to help determine a career path that’s right for us!

Until next time,

Sirisopha