Work experience -- paid or volunteer -- can teach students discipline, responsibility, reliability, teamwork, and other skills. A summer job may be a good way to gain experience and earn money for college as well. If your child works during the school year, he or she should not work so many hours that the job interferes with schoolwork.

Some students also participate in community service activities such as tutoring elementary school children or volunteering in a local hospital. Such activities make valuable contributions to society and also help students to identify their career interests and goals, gain workplace skills, and apply classroom learning to real-world problem solving. Many colleges view community service as a valuable experience that enhances a student's college application.

They visit your school every year. While some wear dress suits, others sport institutional promotional apparel. They may be goofy, or even a little on the up-tight side. Yet, no matter what image they present, they are all recruiters… and they all have a wealth of knowledge to share.

Recruiters, admissions counsellors or educational liaisons - as they are often called - travel on a career fair circuit promoting their post-secondary educational institution and further education, in general.

"A recruiter's job is two-fold," said recruiter Terry Luhoway. "We not only inform students of the opportunities that exist within our institution, but we also motivate and encourage students to think of the big picture. We want to make them aware of what is out there and create excitement about post-secondary education."

If you are planning to attend a college, university or technical school, you need to know the differences between them. Not only can recruiters explain the differences between these alternatives, but they are also experts with all aspects of post-secondary education.

Luhoway, who has been recruiting for 12 years, explains that consulting with a recruiter is becoming an increasingly important factor when you are considering a post-secondary education and career.

"When I started recruiting, tuition was $700, entrance requirements were lower and students had less hoops to go through," he said. "With increased competitiveness, students feel more pressure and are now more anxious and nervous than ever. As a result, students, parents and high school counsellors now rely more on the recruiters for specific details."

As a first contact with the respective post-secondary educational institution, recruiters can effectively assist you by answering a wide range of questions. From basic demographic information - such as the institution's location or campus population - to providing a complete institutional profile, you can access a wide array of valuable information from recruiters.

"I spoke with a recruiter who helped me out by answering all sorts of questions," said Carmen Smith, who is now in her second year of post-secondary educational studies. "I was unsure about pre-requisites (high school courses that must be completed before pursuing a post-secondary education), application deadlines and how I was going to finance my studies. The recruiter helped ease the transition from high school to college. I am certainly appreciative of the recruiter's efforts."

In addition to addressing student questions in an approachable, supportive and enthusiastic manner, recruiters can also assist prospective students by coordinating orientation events, establishing student mentorship programs and arranging individual and group campus tours. Be sure to also ask recruiters about upcoming career fairs, information evenings, open houses, as well as other important academic dates.

"The recruiter informed me of the application deadlines and fees," reflected Smith. "He also provided me with a college brochure, calendar and all sorts of scholarship information. I was really impressed that he was genuinely interested in helping me out, not just promoting his college."

Twenty years ago the number of programs and courses offered at post secondary schools were limited. Today, there are as many programs offered as there are students attending. For a high school graduate considering post secondary, the choice between one school over another can be a bit overwhelming. A recruiter's job is to provide you with information that can help make your decision a little less stressful.

Since many recruiters also work as advisors, they can typically provide assistance with completing applications, making educational referrals and supplying various forms of career related advice. When recruiters are unable to effectively address an inquiry, you can be sure that they will refer the question to someone who can answer it… either way, you will get an answer!

Some questions you may want to consider asking recruiters are:
- What credentials (certificates, diplomas, apprenticeships, degrees, co-op options, exchange programs) does your institution offer?
- What are the unique qualities of your institution?
- What sort of (personal and career) support does your institution provide?
- Does your institution have a residence? Cafeteria? Pub? Free parking? Competitive/intramural sports?
- What sort of financial aid does your institution offer?
- How competitive is the admission process? (GPAs, application/acceptance rate, competitive or rolling admission)
- What sorts of student leadership opportunities are available on campus?
- Are there on-campus employment opportunities available?
- How large are average classes?
- Is your institution fully accredited?
- How qualified are your institution's instructors?
- What is the history of your institution?
- What is your institution's mission statement and vision?
- How would you assess the safety level at your institution?
- What is the employment rate, upon graduation?

If nothing else, recruiters are well versed with academic lingo and can assist by familiarizing you with various relevant educational terminologies. You'll learn all sorts of sophisticated and (soon to be) useful terms like alumni; articulation; attrition; audit; deficiencies; enroll; faculty; internship; outreach; matriculation; placement tests; retention; transferable courses; and many more!

Finally, recruiters are the best source of information for their respective post-secondary educational institution - consider them your allies. The next time recruiters travel to your school, take the opportunity to absorb their wealth of post-secondary education and career knowledge… and don't be afraid to ask questions!

 

The advantages of pursuing an undergraduate degree while in the Canadian armed forces are immense. This is a good way to pay for school and access other educational benefits and junior officers are some of the most sought-after employees in the work force.

In Canada, Canadian Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) rules ban all entrance scholarships for athletics, and athletes can only get funding once they enter their second year of school. Even then the amount is based on the total team due to "ceiling rules" (i.e., not one student can receive the bulk of the award, it has to be shared among his team members equally). Less than a quarter of CIS athletes receive scholarships for their abilities.

The main reason that Canadian schools like UBC and SFU have been expressing interest in US NCAA membership is because of the differences in scholarship rules between CIS and the US organization. The NCAA allows schools to give out so-called "full-ride" scholarships—tuition, fees, room and board, and books—while CIS schools are only allowed to pay for tuition and fees at the most. That discrepancy in funding—as well as the opportunity for wider competition south of the border— means that many of Canada’s top athletes leave the country for school.