University of Manitoba Admin Building | See beyond the obvious occupational opportunities at the University.
Hidden job opportunities
Looking beyond the obvious positions in an organization.
In any organization, there are typically more positions available than first meet the eye. The University of Manitoba is a great example of just that. When deciding on where you want to work, it is important look beyond the obvious and think about the positions that are harder to see.
Have you ever wondered who else works at a hospital besides doctors and nurses? Or who decides what products your favourite clothing store sells? Or who else works at the University of Manitoba besides professors? Our goal is to take you behind the scenes at the University of Manitoba so you can see beyond the obvious occupational opportunities. Maybe you will see U of M as an employer you should consider in your career journey.
Think outside the box. You may walk past an exciting job every day.
“Being open to explore the range of careers in an organization is an important step,” says Heidi Adamko, director, change management and project services, human resources at U of M. “When I was an engineering student I didn’t realize U of M’s human resource department had positions that need the skills and experience received from an engineering degree. Now, I invite students to do co-op placements in our area. To date, we’ve had five engineering students work in human resources.”
The U of M has 15 non-academic occupational groupings which include unionized, non-unionized and management positions. Four of these groupings are:
- Libraries – include archivists, librarians, curators and library assistant are just some positions in a library. Read Coffee with a Co-worker: Jim Blanchard to learn about what working as a librarian at U of M is like.
- Supporting students – include various occupations that involve helping students with academic success, choosing a career direction, financing education, connecting to employers and so much more. These supports are available through different departments which include: student accessibility services, the registrar’s office, international centre, career services, and advising services. The departments have staff with very different degrees. What is important is that you have the knowledge, skills and attributes they are looking for; learn what it is like to work in career services according to career consultant Rebecca Balakrishnan.
- Marketing and communications – include marketing communications professionals who help share the university’s story to internal and external communities. People in this grouping work in faculties or units, or in the marketing communications office. Positions here include communications strategists, writers, digital media experts, graphic designers, marketing professionals and media relations specialists. They require excellent written and oral communications skills and an understanding of the digital marketing landscape. If you are interested in this type of work, read about Asper School of Business student Tyrell Fontaine’s summer internship in the marketing communications office.
- Information services and technology – include people who create, maintain, secure and improve information technology. Recently John Fedoruk a U of M staff who works in this area won Canada’s Developer 30 under 30 Award. Click here to learn more about John Fedoruk’s story.
You may have heard about some of these occupations already but you probably have not heard of all 30,000 plus occupations in Canada. If you want to learn more about these and other occupation, visit career services Research Occupations website. There are over 250 occupational profiles available. You may also want to consider the career mentor program where you can meet with an industry professional for a one hour informational interview. If you want to explore how to learn more about a specific organization or discuss a career path visit career services. We would love to help you start to design your career path.
To learn more about a potential opportunities at the U of M visit UM Careers. Taking time to explore job postings early in your degree will give you the chance to develop the knowledge and skills employers are looking for. When exploring an organization, also consider other benefits they have to offer. U of M collected some of the reasons to work at U of M, clicking here to find out more.
So next time you are out and about, whether it is going for lunch or visiting the bank, think about how you can fit into that organization based on your talents, knowledge and skills. Is it the right environment for you to flourish based on your personality and interests? What do you have to offer that a specific organization needs? You may even learn about occupations you have never heard of before. Taking time to explore an organization is a great way to learn about new occupation, see current and future job opportunities and help you to start to design your path forward.