Introducing Aleksandra
Aleksandra Mastelica (she/her) completed her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Legal Studies at the University of Waterloo, and has since continued her education in the same department, studying for her Master of Arts.
In addition to her studies, Aleksandra has a wide range of professional development experiences. In particular, she has worked in the co-op department helping students build their resumes, apply to jobs, and learn how to make their skills marketable to employers. Aleksandra has also taken on opportunities to organize academic and professional conferences, including the annual Ethics Symposium alongside Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) Canada and Centre for Accounting Ethics and the Canadian Law and Society Associations (CSLA)’s mid-winter academic conference titled “Law and (In)justice in Times of Crisis”. Aleksandra had the opportunity to facilitate and chair several different presentations at the CSLA conference.
Participating in co-op and/or professional development
Aleksandra’s first co-op experiences came during her undergraduate studies, yet she says that “pursuing co-op, especially in grad school, has been one of the greatest decisions I’ve made”. Thinking back to her undergraduate co-op experiences, Aleksandra says that she was very unsure what field she wanted to work in. It was not until after several years working for the university, specifically within the co-op department, she realized what she enjoyed – “education and working with students” – however, Aleksandra says she was still unsure where her career would lead her.
As Aleksandra began her graduate school experience, she felt confident in her foundational professional development skills, such as crafting resumes and being able to answer interview questions. With many developed skills, Aleksandra set a new goal for herself, she wanted to step out of her comfort zone and start applying to jobs outside of the university and academic environment. She said, "I wanted to explore more options and take the steps necessary to get me closer to my career goals". Using WaterlooWorks and other external job boards, Aleksandra applied for government jobs. She mentioned the usefulness of Waterloo’s supports, which helped her write an effective resume to attract a variety of different employers. With this resume, Aleksandra landed a job as a Junior Analyst at the Canadian School of Public Service, allowing her to continue to pursue her interest in education in another context.
For Aleksandra one of the most challenging parts of co-op was stepping out of her comfort zone and applying to new industries. This is one task she did not regret. In her own words, "It can be very difficult to make that first step and try something new, but it is so worth it". The process has allowed Aleksandra to apply her academic knowledge in the work and professional environments. This allowed her to create new meaningful experiences and learn professional development skills, preparing her for her future career.
Advice to other students
Overall, Aleksandra has found that co-op is a great way to learn valuable skills while being able to financially support yourself as a student! She also expresses that co-op is a great way to apply knowledge from the classroom to a work environment and get to know what employers look for. Finally, Aleksandra recommends graduate students who are interested in professional development believe in themselves, “be confident in your knowledge and your skills and apply to a variety of positions … you never know what rewarding experiences may come of it"!
Related resources
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Interested in Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) opportunities for graduate students? Learn more about Grad WIL at Waterloo.
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The Centre for Career Action is available to support graduate student career development and work search through live workshops, self-directed online workshops, and one-on-one career advising appointments.
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Looking to fill gaps in your skill set? LinkedIn Learning is an online educational platform that helps you discover and develop business, technology-related, and creative skills through expert-led course videos. With more than 5,000 courses and personalized recommendations, you can discover, complete, and track courses related to your field and interests. University of Waterloo graduate students can access web based training from LinkedIn learning using their WatIAM credentials.
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For a full list of professional development related resources for graduate students, visit GRADventure, a central hub of professional development resources and programs.
