CaPS Tips on. Careers for Students in Physical Education & Recreation

Transcription

1 CaPS Tips on Careers for Students in Physical Education & Recreation What do employers who hire Physical Education & Recreation graduates look for? During Fall 2003, CaPS conducted a survey of employers to find out about their practices and preferences related to the hiring process. One question we asked was "What are the five most important general traits or competencies looked for in potential employees?" Following is a list of responses provided by employers who hire Physical Education and Recreation graduates. Teamwork Interpersonal skills Communication Customer service Ability to work independently Creativity, innovation Enthusiasm Commitment, loyalty Organizational skills Computer skills Honesty Positive attitude Ability to interact with different types of people Ability to motivate oneself and others Energy Friendliness Initiative Leadership Outgoing Presentation skills Punctuality Writing skills Ability to listen Ability to conceptualize and communicate knowledge Ability to learn in nonformal environments: stay on top of current practices and adapt to new systems and technology Personal suitability Career-goal oriented Empathy Willingness to work hard Ability to learn Common sense Reliability Integrity Fit into organizational culture Decision-making skills Attention to detail Problem-solving Planning skills Smart Ambition Flexibility Demeanor Aptitude for the job You can see from the list that strong communication skills - interpersonal, public speaking and writing - are key to succeeding in today's labour market. The ability to work cooperatively and effectively with others (customers and co-workers), to think and solve problems, and to manage one's workload are also very important. Think about what you can do apart from your academic studies to develop your skills; for example, volunteering, part-time and summer employment, and getting involved in extra-curricular activities (e.g. your student association). Think also about how you will communicate your skills to potential employers - verbally and in writing. CaPS offers workshops for Physical Education & Recreation students on resume writing and interview skills. Check our brochure, "Career Services for Physical Education & Recreation Students," or the CaPS web site for more details. over

2 How have University of Alberta Physical Education and Recreation graduates put their degree to work? In 2000, CaPS conducted a survey of 1995 University of Alberta graduates. The following table lists some of the occupational groups that respondents with Physical Education or Recreation degrees were working in, along with a small sampling of job titles that fall within each group. The survey used the Canadian National Occupation Classification (NOC) system to categorize occupational groups. For additional information about these occupations, or any others, consult the NOC Occupational Descriptions guide located in the CaPS Resource Centre. Percentage of NOC code and title for Respondents occupational group 48.9% Professional and Paraprofessional Occupations in Social Science, Education, Government Services and Religion - 41 & % Middle and Other Management Occupations % Skilled Administrative and Business Occupations % Skilled and Intermediate Sales and Service Occupations - 62 & % Professional and Technical/Skilled Occupations in Health - 31 & 32 Examples of job titles for occupational group (Note: This is a very small sampling.) Professors and instructors; psychologists; recreation and sports program supervisors and consultants (e.g. sports policy analyst); social workers; probation and parole officers; researchers, analysts and consultants of all kinds (e.g. public policy); community and social service workers Assistant deputy ministers; executive directors; human resources managers; banking managers; arts administrators; university and college registrars; volunteer services directors; managing editors Supervisors of many types; administrative officers; executive assistants; personnel and recruitment officers; property administrators; conference and event planners Sales representatives in all types of industries (e.g. publishing); insurance and real estate brokers; travel consultants; police officers; correctional services officers; by-law enforcement officers Athletic therapists; recreational therapists; medical technologists and technicians; practitioners of natural healing; massage therapists CaPS offers many services to assist you in identifying and researching your career options, including the workshops Career Selection for Students in Physical Education and Recreation (undergraduate students), and So You Want to Be an Academic and Establishing a Career Outside Academia (graduate students); individual career advising consultations; and career forums. In addition to these services, you can access the Jackson Vocational Interest Survey (JVIS) through the CaPS web site. We also carry a number of key resources for career planning. Some of the resources are outlined on page 4. For more details, check our brochure, "Career Services for Physical Education and Recreation Students," or the CaPS web site (

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4 What is the most effective method for finding work with a degree in Physical Education or Recreation? What are the most effective methods for finding work? For the CaPS Employment Survey of University of Alberta Graduates of 1995, completed in 2000,, respondents with a degree in Physical Education or Recreation stated that they used the following activities to find their main position (more than one response was allowed): Method Employed Respondents using Method Networking 70.8% Previous work experience with employer 33.3% Contacted employer without knowing of opening 31.9% Responded to print advertising 18.8% Used resume databank 4.3% On-campus job-posting 4.2% Used internet 2.1% Other 2.1% Used private employment agency 2.1% Used public employment office 2.1% In Summer 2002, CaPS surveyed employers who hire graduates from the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation and asked, "How do most job seekers become aware of employment opportunities with your organization?" Their responses follow: Method Percentage of Often responses Job posting on the organization s website 68% Advertisement in newspaper/ job bulletin 44% Other Internet sources (other institutions, large resume banks) 40% Personal referral 36% Job posting at CaPS 36% Cold call/unsolicited applications 28% Career fairs 24% Personnel agencies 0% Though employers and work seekers use the Internet more today than in the past, the tried and true work search method is still networking. The results of the surveys support conventional wisdom: only about 20% of available jobs are advertised. This leaves 80% of available jobs that are not advertised because the employer already has a candidate who has worked for them in the past, was recommended to them by a colleague or applied before the position became available. Employers indicated that they used multiple methods to find candidates; work searchers indicated that they did the same to find work. CaPS offers many services and resources to help you develop effective work search skills and connect with employers, including seminars, career forums, career fairs and employer information sessions. For more details, check our brochure, "Career Services for Physical Education & Recreation Students," or the CaPS web site ( over

5 Career Resources: Physical Education & Recreation Following is just a small sample of some of the publications for Physical Education and Recreation students available for viewing in the CaPS Resource Centre. Visit us soon to learn about additional resources for Physical Education and Recreation students. Books 100 Best Careers in Crime Fighting OCC BES2 50 Coolest Jobs in Sports FAC PHY OCC Alternative Health Care: The Canadian Directory FAC HEA ALT Canadian Health Care Career Handbook FAC HEA CAN2 Careers for Courageous People and Other Adventurous Types OCC CAR29 Careers for Health Nuts and Others who Like to Stay Fit OCC CAR17 Careers for Sports Nuts and Other Athletic Types OCC CAR12 Careers in Health Care FAC HEA CAR Careers in Social and Rehabilitation Services OCC CAR24 Career Opportunities in Education FAC EDU CAR2 Great Careers for People Interested in Sports & Fitness FAC PHY GRE Opportunities in Physical Therapy Careers FAC HEA OPP5 Opportunities in Special Education Careers FAC EDU OPP Opportunities in Sports and Athletics Careers FAC PHY OPP Opportunities in Sports Medicine OCC REA Real People Working in Service Businesses OCC REA Working on Cruise Ships INT WOR2 Directories Alberta Camping Association Directory of Member Camps EMP GEN DIR2 Alberta Organizations for Physical Education and Recreation Students EMP PHY ALB Athletics Alberta Directory EMP PHY ATH Canada Student Employment Guide EMP GEN CAN Career Directory EMP GEN CAN Directory of Community Services 2003 EMP GEN DIR Guide to Canadian Healthcare Facilities EMP HEA GUI Sport Medicine Council of Alberta Resource Directory EMP HEA SPO Who s Hiring 2003 EMP GEN WHO Job Bulletins Alberta Government Bulletin Canada Employment Weekly Current Jobs International Edmonton Journal/Calgary Herald/National Post Jobs, Jobs, Jobs PERC Note: To download a copy of the CaPS Employment Survey of University of Alberta Graduates of 1995 referred to on pages 2 and 3, visit the CaPS web site at Making your way from classroom to career: CaPS Works! 02/2003