Are you thinking about applying to Medical school? The CaPS office has some wonderful resources to help you along the demanding process.  Besides your GPA (which unfortunately, we cannot help you with) there are several key points to your Med School application that need to be in prime condition.

The Personal Statement: Yes, you have all heard of this letter that you are supposed to write about why you want to go to med school and why you are the best applicant. Articulating your skills, personality and goals can be difficult and it is always best to get someone who does not know you to give you some objective feedback and constructive criticism on what you have written. Well guess what?! CaPS can help! Pass by our office or call to book an appointment with one of our Career Advisors who would be happy to read your personal statement and give you some constructive feedback.

General Mock Med Interview: Some of you may or may not have previous interviewing experience, but a general Med School interview can be a little bit different. That is why the CaPS office offers the opportunity to book a mock general med school interview, to help prepare you for the kinds of questions that will be asked and to articulate your answers well and with confidence. 

MMI’s: The Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI’s) are a series of interviews that evaluate different qualities and skills that many medical school now use The CaPS office also offers Mock MMI sessions, so that you can get a feel for how the rotational interviews work and also get feedback to improve your performance. The mock MMI’s are fun and a great way to practice your “on the spot” skills. We also have sample MMI questions and lots of other fun resources in our library.

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So I had the chance to sit down with Thomas Dalton, a current third year law student at McGill, and get some inside information on what law school is really like. Here are some of the things he had to say:

Thomas, why did you decide to apply to law school?
For me it was a career change. I was a high performance coach for a few years after completing MY undergraduate degree. And after achieving some goals that I set out to accomplish, I started looking at other options. I had taken a couple of law courses during my undergrad and had really enjoyed the material.

Can you tell me a bit about what a typical day of a law student looks like?
It is very similar to a student’s schedule in any other faculty. You wake up and go to class; if you have an afternoon off some students will work at the McGill Legal Aid Clinic or at the McGill Student Advocacy Programme, or participate in student clubs or journals.

What do course assessments typically look like?
Course evaluations are generally a paper and a final. Examinations are often open book, so it is imperative to compile the material, such as cases, readings, lecture notes and summarize it. For myself, I often spend the evening summarizing that day’s or week’s material.

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So, you’re confident about your GPA standing, as well as the whole of your academic experiences thus far, and you’ve decided that you want to apply to law school. Fantastic! But wait, there’s one element standing in your way: a certain four-and-a-half hour test with the potential to make or break your career dreams.

Although it is stressful to think that your score on the Law School Admissions Test (LSAT) holds so much sway over the course of your future, I can tell you from my own experience that it doesn’t have to be so bad. Unlike most tests that you’ve encountered throughout your academic career, the LSAT is not a content-based test, but rather assesses your skills in logical thinking—skills that, as a student at McGill University, you already possess. Here are some things I would suggest in sufficiently preparing yourself for test day:

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Have you started looking for your summer job or internship?  Are you doing all you can to start positioning yourself for career success once you graduate?  U2 is the ideal time to develop a plan of action that starts with securing a relevant summer internship in areas of Consulting, Financial Institutions & Information Technology.  Don’t procrastinate as positions are up on myFuture and deadlines to submit are in January with interviews usually in February.
 
The competition is fierce and you should be prepared to alter your schedule to better suit that of the employer. This is the time to take advantage of their availability.
Before you opt to participate, ask yourself two questions:

• Is your candidacy strong enough to propel you to an interview?
• Can you dedicate the time required to compete?

To help you better prepare to successfully participate in the on-campus recruitment for these positions and be asked for an interview, consider these recommendations:

• Start with a self-assessment: you need to know what your skills, interests, values and abilities are.
• Research the industry and life style: These industries require long hours and others require you to be constantly up-to-date. TIP: Informational interviews are a great way to find out about the culture in these industries.
• Create a resume and cover letter; without a shining application how can they see what a great candidate you are? TIP: CaPS has CV Drop-in daily or make an appointment with a Career Advisor to go over your CV & cover letter.
• Practice your interview skills: your amazing application has their interest - now you need to keep them interested. Can you answer the question, “Tell me about yourself?”? TIP: CaPS offers workshops on interview skills, and you can book an appointment for a mock interview.
• Don’t forget that you will probably have to do a case interview.  Are you familiar with what a case interview is? TIP: Research and practice case interviewing in order to become more familiar with the process. Case examples are available at various consulting firm websites, including The Boston Consulting Group and McKinsey & Co.  Check out the Vault Guides as well and see an advisor.

For up-to-date information on deadline dates, information sessions and workshops, please login in to myFuture. Check out the Quick Guide on myFuture's OCR (i.e. how to search, upload documents, apply, sign up for interviews, etc.).

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Where to find external scholarships and awards?

CaPS - External Scholarships (http://caps.mcgill.ca/sp/subjects/index.php) is a collection of scholarships and awards from external sources.  Most of the scholarships are awarded annually and are based on financial need and other criteria rather than just by merit.  The scholarships are organized by faculty.  The website also contains a scholarship guide for people thinking of studying abroad.  The website is in its BETA version.  Any feedback to the website is welcome and can be sent to caps.library@mcgill.ca.

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Labour Market Information
BY LISA LIN, CaPS CAREER RESOURCE CONSULTANT

This monthly bulletin aims to inform you of major news and trends in the Québec, Canada and U.S. labour markets. Your feedback is welcome mailto:caps.library@mcgill.ca.

In this issue

• US unemployment benefits claims fell to the lowest level since April 2011
• Canada’s employment rate has thumped back to  earth in October, losing 54,000 jobs
• 88 percent of people believe “special efforts” are required when applying for jobs
• Occupational highlight: Lawyers and Quebec Notaries
• And more!

The good news

Applications for U.S. jobless claims fall
The Globe and Mail, 10 November 2011
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/economy/
jobs/applications-for-us-jobless-claims-fall/article2231789/
The number of people who applied for unemployment benefits last week fell to the lowest level since April, a sign that employers could be stepping up hiring.

Clean energy will generate much needed jobs for B.C
The Star Phoenix, 20 October 2011
http://www.thestarphoenix.com/business/Clean+energy+will+
generate+much+needed+jobs/5572206/story.html
In a throne speech, the government of BC is committed to create new jobs in the clean-technology sector, one of the sectors that they largely overlooked in the past.

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Career Fairs/Career Days: Winter 2012

For a full listing of all events offered and to register, log-in to myFuture. Click on the "Events" tab and then the "Career Fairs/Career Days" tab. Select the event you would like to attend and click on "RSVP."

Work Your BA
January 23-Feb 3, 2012

Get ready for Work Your BA Weeks this January.  The AUS in collaboration with CaPS is bringing you a series of panel discussions and workshops titled "Work Your BA" to show you and everyone else what you can do with your degree.

• ‘Management and Your B.A - Delving into the Private Sector’
  
• ‘Communications ‘Working in PR, Journalism and Media’
  
• ‘Working in Government  Diplomacy and Public Service’
  
• Changing with the Times ‘Technology, Environment and Health Care’
  
• ‘Borderless B.As’ NGOs and Non-Profits Abroad
  
• ‘Cultivate Your B.A’ Working in the Creative Sector
  
• Beyond the BA: Pursuing Professional and graduate school panel
• Workshop One Stop Shop for Arts Students
  
• Arts Café

Career Fairs

Career fairs are events organized by the Career Planning Service and other career centres, often together with faculty associations and student groups, and provide an excellent opportunity for students to meet with company representatives from a variety of industries. Career fairs allow you to gather information on companies, find out about entry level positions and career paths, and develop employer contact to enhance your job search. Be prepared to collect company literature and business cards, and distribute your CV. Keep in mind that this is a forum where both future employees and employers can network and explore job opportunities in today's fields.

• McGill Public Service Carrer Fair
  February 2, 2012

• McGill Education Career Fair
  February 6, 2012

• McGill University Technology Career Fair (McGill Techfair)
  February 8, 2012, 2012
  
• Mini Environmental Fair
  March 2012
  
  
• McGill Physical and Occupational Therapy & Speech, Language and Communication Disorders Career Fair
  March 2012

• McGill School of Information Studies Career Fair
  March 2012

• Law from Abroad Fair
  March 2012
  
  
• Australian Grad School Fair
  March 2012

Green Careers Week
March 13-15, 2012

Interested in making a difference? This week will provide you with the labour market information and opportunity to hear from people who work in "Green Careers." Come to the Panels and the Career Fair.

• Workshop #1 = Build your Job Search Tools (CV, cover letter, interview)
  December 1 , 10:00 - 11:30am - Brown 3001
  
  By attending this workshop, students will be able to:
  1) Compose a more effective and tailored cv.
  2) Define the essential components of a cover letter.
  3) Understand the importance of, and define what is involved in, thorough interview preparation.
  4) Identify the best forms of verbal and non-verbal communication in order to conduct themselves in a professional manner before, during and after an interview.
  5) Understand the importance of an action plan which includes identifying the eight steps that guide the career planning process and which of those steps needs development.
  
  
• The Pre-Departure Orientation Make-Up Session
  December 1 , 5:30 - 7:30pm - Leacock 26
  
  Who should attend: Students who missed the October 2011 Pre-Departure Orientation and who will be travelling outside of Canada in Winter 2012 on a University-related travel activity: exchange, study-away, internship, graduate work or undergraduate research, etc.
  
  Please register your attendance for the session here: www.mcgill.ca/students/international/predeparture
  
  
• Where to find Summer Jobs: Beat the Heat
  December 2, 10:30am - 12:00pm- Brown 3001
  
  By attending this workshop, students will be able to:
  1) Assess their priorities and set goals for their summer job/internship.
  2) Identify the primary job search steps involved in obtaining a summer job.
  3) Uncover the hidden job market and understand its particular relevance to the summer job search.
  4) Identify several sectors which often hire summer employees and list at least three resources to effectively research specific companies and opportunities.
  
  

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