Sprott’s BCMC recognized for career centre innovation by TalentEgg

Sprott’s Business Career Management Centre (BCMC) was named one of three finalists for TalentEgg’s National Campus Excellence Awards in the category of “Innovation by a Career Centre”. Winners were announced at TalentEgg’s annual awards and conference on Thursday, May 14.

“Ultimately, all career centres want students to get, not only good jobs, but jobs that fit,” said Gilles Leblanc, Manager of BCMC. “I had seen the ‘sage on the stage’ approach. I thought there must be a better way for students to gain the same tools and skills, but in a more engaging and fun way.”

BCMC is a trusted source of career advice and employer connections for Sprott students. The centre is known amongst the student community for its original, hands-on events.

The Triple Etiquette Series is BCMC’s signature event series. It equips students with essential skills to help them put their best self forward and make powerful connections in professional environments.

Dress for Success business fashion show featuring student model and emceed by a fashion stylist. — BCMC’s Dress for Success business fashion show features Sprott students and faculty as models.

The first event in the series is Dress for Respect, an interactive business fashion show that is emceed by a professional stylist and modeled by students. Sprott students learn wardrobe essentials and faux pas for a range of workplace environments and business settings. It is not unusual to catch a Sprott professor strutting down the catwalk as well.

Next up in the series is a networking workshop. For the past couple years, BCMC has brought in networking guru Michael Hughes who breaks down the networking process and helps students overcome the fear of introducing themselves to someone new.

Students learning proper table manners at BCMC's Etiquette Dinner. — With business meetings often taking place over meals, knowing the proper way to toast or hold a glass helps to make a good impression.

The final event is the infamous Etiquette Dinner. Hosted by Erin Crotty of BloomStra Consulting , the Etiquette Dinner teaches students the fine points of formal dining, from how to make and receive a toast to the proper way to how to hold a glass. With business meetings often taking place over a meal, good table manners are another way to make a positive impression and stand out against competitors.

The series runs in the Fall term, leading up to the Sprott Business Students’ Society Annual Business Banquet, where students can put all of the skills they learned into action. The banquet is prime opportunity for students to connect with alumni and business professionals. While Sprott students organize the event and student tickets, BCMC manages alumni and business guests, putting in extra effort to match professionals with students in terms of their area of concentration.

Another innovation by BCMC is the way they present program and career pathways to students. Sprott’s Bachelor of Commerce program features eight concentrations: Accounting, Entrepreneurship, Finance, Information Systems, International Business, Management, and Supply Chain Management. The Bachelor of International Business features three concentrations: Global Financial Management and Systems, and International Strategy and International Human Resources Management.

BCMC hosts alumni career panels for each concentration, allowing alumni to showcase the career possibilities for students after they graduate. Time for informal networking is built into each panel event.

“I wanted to leverage the good will of our alumni,” said Gilles. “It’s really valuable for students to hear those stories from alumni of how they got to where they are in their careers.”

Panel of Sprott alumni speaking to Sprott students about careers in finance. — A panel of Sprott alumni speak to students about careers in Finance.

Being an international business school located in the nation’s capital, the Sprott School boasts a diverse student community. BCMC recently introduced a specialized service for international students. BCMC has enlisted the help of a Sprott PhD in Management candidate who has consulting experience advising new Canadians on employment. She has been working with international students in the Sprott MBA to help them in their adjustment to Western education and career transition.

Reaching out to students in many ways is key to their success. BCMC is active on social media, using Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to connect with students. In addition, staff strive to get in front of students as much as possible, beginning the first week Sprott students’ arrive on campus during Fall Orientation and throughout the year via in-class presentations and built-in career curriculum in such courses as the first year Introduction to Business course.

Employers interested in exploring the opportunities of working with BCMC are encouraged to contact Gilles Leblanc, Manager, Sprott Business Career Management Centre.

For students, BCMC is open all summer. Appointments can be booked through the mySprott portal in Carleton Central. For students who are out of town for the summer, alternate appointments can be arranged by phone, Skype or electronic reviews by emailing sprottcareers@sprott.carleton.ca.