Author: Taylor Yankowski

Concordia journalism student spends after-school hours producing a radio show at CJAD 800

A degree is important, especially in the 21st century, but one Concordia journalism student has found that hard experience can teach you more.

“Yes, school is important, but already with the experience that I have while working and from school, I am able to become something stronger once I get that degree,” said Concordia journalism student and CJAD 800 producer Cora MacDonald.

MacDonald knows the importance of a university degree in this day and age. However, she said the opportunities she’s gained during her internship at the CJAD radio station and her determination to do the best at her job has proven to be equally as powerful.

Now 29-years-old, MacDonald’s journey to find her passion has been a long one, since at 27, she was a philosophy student at Concordia.

“I didn’t know what I wanted to do. I was in an existential crisis,” said MacDonald. “So I took existentialism [as a class].”

When making one of her schedules, she enrolled in a journalism class that was only accessible to students in the program. She was accidentally accepted.

A classmate in the course recommended an extracurricular activity that changed her life. The student told her to join the Street Team at Astral Media—so she did.

“When I would be driving in the car with my ex-boyfriend listening to CJAD, I would always say ‘one day I’m going to be on the radio,’” MacDonald said. “I would say it jokingly.”

Little did she know, that was exactly what she was setting herself up for. The Street Team covers promotional events for stations including CHOM, CJAD and Virgin Radio. MacDonald even covered events with her job for the Montreal Alouettes’ football team, and made important connections while working there.

“You are going there for the purpose of creating a name in the journalism world,” she said.

MacDonald did just that by striving to go above and beyond expectations for three months at the street team, despite rocky circumstances in her personal life. She had suffered from a drinking problem.

“I became sober for this job and career,” she said. “I haven’t had a drink in over a year and a half, since my job has given me a purpose. I wake up every single day and I am grateful [for the station].”

After three months on the street team, she asked to be put in contact with Chris Bury, the program director and news director at Bell Media, who had taken over from Astral Media. After a meeting with Bury and receiving great feedback about her performance with the Street Team, she was given the opportunity to intern for CJAD.

MacDonald helped work on Todd van der Heyden’s Viewpoints and the Tommy Schnurmacher Show.

“I touched on research, chases and I saw a lot of things I pitched go to air with Todd van der Heyden,” said MacDonald. “I booked at least a guest per show.”

In the end, this experience made her apply, twice, to the journalism program.

“I was in the running for the opportunity to have a full-time position as a producer but I said no, purely because I want those letters at the end of my name,” MacDonald explained. “With my degree, I can become an executive producer.”

MacDonald explained that a diploma shows that you are accomplished and knowledgeable in your chosen field. Work experience can disappear if a company is restructuring, for example. While it was a challenge to get these positions, she knows how valuable these opportunities have been.

“I am relentless,” MacDonald laughed. “I never let someone say no to me. It may be terrible in my personal life, but as a journalist it’s great.”

MacDonald is in her second year at Concordia in journalism and is the weekend producer at CJAD 800. She is also Todd van der Heyden’s producer on his nationally syndicated radio show Viewpoints which airs Saturdays from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on CJAD 800.

Internships are an ideal way for students to experience the workplace

Many people believe that what you learn in school is all you need to land your dream job. But in this day and age it’s not enough.

Internships are the key to showing your abilities to future employers. The hands-on experience will provide you with valuable lessons a textbook can’t.

No matter what the field of work is, internships allow for an  opportunity to test out your skills before committing to the job permanently. Through an internship, the company can determine if the intern would be a good fit for their organization in the future. For the intern, internships provide the opportunity to see what a job is really like.

Many people choose a field of study based on their interest in the subject. But there comes a moment where everyone must decide if they are in a certain program for the love of the subject or because they want to have a future working on what they have learned.

This is an overwhelming thought for most when asked what they want to do for the rest of their lives.

Mathieu Mackay, a finance student at John Molson School of Business, is an intern at the Business Development Bank of Canada as a financial analyst. Mackay knows exactly what he needs to do in order to land his dream job and seize all opportunities.

“In this day and age more than ever, merely showing up to class and [taking] exams with minimal effort simply won’t cut it,” he said. “More than ever, companies are looking for students that will offer added value through life experiences, work experiences and higher degrees.”

Mackay has joined the John Molson Competition Committee in delegation. He will complete an exchange program in Amsterdam in the winter of 2016 and he is taking international finance courses to distinguish himself from his classmates.

Standing out and having an impressive resumé will help get you that crucial interview for your internship.

Concordia journalism student Kelsey Litwin took part in an internship this summer as a communications assistant at TRIUMF in Vancouver. Even though TRIUMF is a physics company, Litwin did not need to be an expert in physics to land this job.

“It is important to think outside the box and [not to] stick with the typical internships you think are necessary to your field,” said Litwin. “You never know what possibilities will lie outside of those strict guidelines.”

When it comes to preparing for your interview, Litwin believes that researching the company beforehand helps you find your common interests with the company as well as what new skills you can acquire from this opportunity.

When deciding what internship to pursue, choose a company you are interested in, no matter how wild the idea may seem. Check their website or call the human relations department to enquire about possible student hiring opportunities for a one to three month span.

Mackay believes that when you build a lifestyle filled with interesting projects, it’ll naturally lead you to an exciting internship and a promising career. There is an endless supply of possibilities out there, but only if you are hungry for the chase.

Tips and tricks that will keep your resumé on point and employers impressed with your expertise

A student’s job is to learn about their field of study and to develop their skills in order to work in their chosen profession post-graduation. Once we’ve graduated, the real challenge that most of us are not prepared for is how to land that perfect job by writing a proper resumé.

A resumé is a carefully written document that describes your qualifications from education, work experience, personal projects and interests.

Natalie Roper, an advisor for Student Learning and Professional Development at the Institute for Co-operative Education at Concordia University, knows the value of writing a proper resumé.

According to Roper, resumés are about demonstrating your accomplishments in a short form, by describing what you have done in terms of jobs and how you have impacted said companies.

Roper organizes many resumé and cover letter workshops and also has one-on-one sessions with co-op students to help them improve their chances of landing their dream job.

Writing a proper resumé takes time. There is no perfect formula but with every resumé, there are elements that must be included to make yourself more attractive to potential hiring managers.

The first element to consider, according to Roper, is that a resumé is usually a maximum of two pages long, Calibri font, size 10-11. Sometimes resumés are even limited to a single page if you are applying to a position in finance or consultation. This is why it is important to look at the job posting carefully and choose specific information and attributes that will make you stand out for each job posting.

Roper explained that resumés often go through a 20 to 30-second scan by employers, so they should be clear and easy to read.

After looking over a job posting, it is time to put together your resumé.

A summary profile, Roper said, is used to showcase a person’s talents and skills that would be directly related to the job they are applying for. Typically, this section is relevant for those with more years of experience, and it is usually written at the top of the page, she said.

Education is considered next. “Depending on your field of study, like engineers and actuaries, projects are a must to include,” Roper said. “They have to put projects prior to work experience, unless they have work experience directly related to the field.”

Finally, include your work experience, volunteer work, awards and achievements, and your personal interests.

“There are so many templates out there, but it is all about branding yourself,” Roper said. “At the bottom, many write that their interests are biking and writing, but instead write about what you are passionate about. What you like about reading will make it more descriptive. It can create a connection between you and a manager.”

There are a few key elements to keep in mind: check for typos, always email it as a PDF file, hyperlink your social media skills, your website and LinkedIn, bold a few keywords in your resumé, and finally, leave a bit of white space on the page so that it doesn’t look overly cluttered with text, said Roper.

“The last thing to keep in mind when writing a resumé is to keep a master version which includes a list of all your projects and work,” said Roper. “You never know when you might need to pull it up for your future job.”