"We have to confront ourselves. Do we like what we see in the mirror? And, according to our light, according to our understanding, according to our courage, we will have to say yea or nay—and rise!"
– Dr. Maya Angelou

The word "vocation" comes from the Latin vocare, which means to call. To build a life of meaning and purpose, where you're able to coherently connect your work and your calling, you need to start by empathizing with and understanding who you are.

The first thing to do is ask the right questions. A common piece of career advice is "Follow your passion!" We suggest: forget finding your passion—instead, learn more about who you are in terms of your background, beliefs, values, interests, and skills.

Instead of starting with "what jobs can I do with this degree?" start with: What am I curious about? What challenges exist in the world that I want to help solve?

"The best way to get a good idea is to have a lot of ideas."
– Dr. Linus Pauling

You have the ability to identify ideas to explore and opportunities that are out there that align with what's important to you and will help you continue to build a life of purpose. There are many possible lives you can live that align with your calling. It is normal not to have everything figured out and it is good to explore many different ideas through listening for stories and identifying possibilities.

Where to Start

The first thing to do is to ask the right questions. Ask yourself—what organizations are working to solve the challenges I've identified as important to me? How are they doing that? What kinds of people do they need? And then, you want to really explore—think creatively about your skills in order to move past analysis paralysis.

Then consider and build your network through empathizing and learning from others. This is about gathering the stories that can help you reframe your own. Your network includes the people with whom you're already connected, and also the broader network you're connected to through CMU and beyond.

Check Out

The Canadian Online Job Posting Dashboard can be a great start to research different organizations and occupations.

Reach out to CMU alumni via LinkedIn to find out more about what they do and how they have followed their calling during and after their time at CMU.

"Prototype the life design way is all about asking good questions, outing our hidden biases and assumptions, iterating rapidly, and creating momentum for a path we'd like to try out."
– Dr. Bill Burnett and Dr. Dave Evans

In addition to reflecting and doing research, it's important for you to gain experience and actually try things so that you can reflect on new information and test out ideas you have about how you might want to respond to your calling.

It's equally important for you to document those experiences effectively so that you can recognize the transferability and applicability of those experiences for yourself and can tell the story of those connections to potential employers.

Where to Start: Gaining Experience

Check out opportunities through On Campus Employment, the Job Board Hosted by CMU, and Riipen, in particular the LevelUp program.

There are lots of ways to get involved on campus in ways that build your skills and your community, such as through Student Leadership. Beyond CMU, you can find opportunities to get involved through Volunteer Manitoba.

Where to Start: Documenting Your Experience

For current students, review the resources in the Centre for Career & Vocation tab on the CMU Student Hub on résumé and cover letter writing.

Watch the Centre for Career and Vocation events calendar to learn when workshops and drop-in times are taking place to get support and feedback for writing your documents.