Library Guides: First Year Foundations: Professional Growth and Development

Career Resources

Resumes and Cover Letters
Your resume and cover letter are often your first introduction to an employer, and they have to impress them enough that they want to meet with you. This module from the Learning Portal will show you how you can create effective resumes and cover letters.
Professional Communications OER
This Open Educational Resource (OER), from Olds College and the Government of Alberta, addresses the complexities of communication in the modern-day professional environment.
Blueprint for Success in College and Career
This Open Educational Resource is designed to show how to be successful in college and in career preparation, and focuses on study skills, time management, career exploration, health, and financial literacy.

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Leaving a high-flying job in consulting, Angela Lee Duckworth took a job teaching math to seventh graders in a New York public school. She quickly realized that IQ wasn't the only thing separating the successful students from those who struggled. Here, she explains her theory of "grit" as a predictor of success.

Assignment Calculator
This tool will help students break down their assignment into manageable steps and set achievable goals.
Goal Setting, Motivation & Concentration
This guide from the University of Saskatchewan contains handouts, infographics, videos, and links to other resources that encourage goal setting.
Setting Goals
Whether you’re trying to accomplish your greatest dream or just get off the couch, this module from the Learning Portal will help you to set goals and achieve motivation through tips, videos, and activities.

Canadian Financial Literacy Self-Assessment Quiz
Take this self-assessment quiz, from the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, to figure out how your financial literacy skills and knowledge measure up compared to other Canadians.
e-Learning videos — Financial Basics
Here, you'll find 8 videos by the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada that are an easy and accessible alternative way to boost financial knowledge and plan a more secure financial future. They cover topics such as budgeting, credit, debit, saving, investing, and financial planning.
Life events and your money
This Government of Canada website offers up financial services and information on losing your job, living as a couple, buying a home, having children, getting divorced, and more.

Understanding Your Learning Style
This Teaching Tip, from the University of Waterloo, discusses the distinction between learning styles and learning preferences, and describes a popular model of learning styles.
What's Your Learning Style?
This Government of Alberta website describes three popular methods of learning and offers a quiz to help users identify their preferred learning approach.
Approach to Learning: Self-Assessment Quiz
This quiz, from UBC, may help you gain a little more insight into your typical approach to learning and which strategies may work well for you in maximizing your strengths. This is not a researched and tested instrument; it is meant to provide you with an avenue for self exploration in preparation for learning.