RYERSON UNIVERSITY

							RYERSON UNIVERSITY, Department of Geography, Program in Geographic Analysis   1
GEO 771: PRACTICUM


                              RYERSON UNIVERSITY
                             Department of Geography
                          Program in Geographic Analysis

GEO 771: 2010 PRACTICUM

Instructor: Doug. Banting, Ph.D., Office             Hours Posted (A630),
                                                     416 979-5000 ext6171
                                                     dbanting@ryerson.ca

Practicum Overview:
    a required course credit for graduation from the Geographic Analysis
      Program

    a course restricted to students in the fourth year of this program, however
     classes are provide to students in the third year of the program

    Experiential learning, Co-op education Internship or Practicum, though
     most often “summer students seeking career-related experience”

    discovery of the attainment of gratifying employment

    at least 350 hours of career-related employment

    utilization and enhancement of the skills, methods and knowledge
     acquired in the program

    normally placement that takes place in the summer months after the
     completion of the sixth semester (partial credit (up to 50%) can also be
     earned for experience prior to the sixth semester)

    culmination of preparations for placement that have taken place in the fifth
     and sixth semester, and are as important as the placement itself:
        o classes – lectures and workshops (~8 hours)
        o document preparation
        o workshops simulating job-acquisition situations
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GEO 771: PRACTICUM


Topic sequence:
Success in this course is achieved by completion of each of the following
elements:
    Goal assessment
    Résumé
    Cover Letters
    Strategic employer searching
    Interview skills development
    Job Applications
    Work Experience
    Employer's Letter of Evaluation
    Student's Internship Summary

Our internship is a 12-month process (September to September)
      Fall 2009 - Participate in lectures, in-class exercises and prepare
      professionally-acceptable documents
      Winter 2010 – apply for (primarily) summer positions
      Summer 2010 - Placement
      Fall 2010 - Reporting

It is to your advantage to start as soon as possible on preparations for this
course, so progress can be made thoughtfully.
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GEO 771: PRACTICUM


Proposed F2009 Weekly Schedule: 8 lectures, 5 Workshops, 4 Assignments

                                          Interns2010
    Wk    Date
                            Eight Wednesdays 2:00-3:00p.m. in POD351
1        Sept 9   1 Practicum Overview; Self Assessment, Workshop 1

2        Sept 16 2 Résumé Preparation ,Workshop 2

3        Sept23 FIELD CAMP

4        Sept 30 3 Cover Letters, Workshop 3                                  Résumé due

5        Oct 7    No class (ESRI conference)

6        Oct 14   Letter-writing questions

7        Oct 21   4 Prospects Research, Workshop 4                     Cover letter due

8        Oct 28   5 Employers Perspective                           Cold-call letter due

9        Nov 4    No class (GITA conference)

10       Nov 11 6 Interview Preparations, Workshop 5

11       Nov 18 7 Practice interviews

12       Nov 25 8 Job-hunting / Internship Reporting                 Prospects list due

13       Dec 2      No class
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GEO 771: PRACTICUM


Evaluated course components:
   attendance at lectures and acknowledgment of the information provided
   successful completion of participatory workshops
   attention to detail
   timely completion
   demonstration of a thoughtful, professional standard of performance in
        o résumé
        o cover letters
        o list of prospective employers
   demonstration of the successful accomplishment of the course objectives
     and fulfilment of the employer’s expectations


Text and other Readings:
While no specific text or readings are assigned for this course, students are
expected to thoroughly research job-seeking literature and Internet web sites.
Monitoring of various media (the Internet, newspapers, professional and industry
journals etc) for job postings is also expected.
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GEO 771: PRACTICUM


Why there is internship:
It has proven to be very successful (since 1975) for both graduates and
employers:
     students gain a practical perspective on job searching, attainment and
       performance;
     the community benefits from the exuberance of new staff who have
       already made an academic commitment to pursuing a career in a
       geographic field

Employers’ comments from summer 2008:
        o “student’s performance was satisfactory”
But mostly:
        o “student’s resourcefulness, eagerness to learn, and eye for detail
            made him a valuable asset to our team... tasks were completed in a
            timely manner...”
        o “she was an outstanding addition to our research team”
        o “his performance was beyond our expectations for a GIS summer
            student. For this reason we have decided to extend his work term.”
        o “student was reliable, courteous, and demonstrated the ability to
            use initiative in a variety of situations... I would have no hesitation in
            recommending him to any future employer...”
        o “student has been a significant asset to the department this
            summer. She is extremely conscientious (not missing a single day)
            and is able to perform at a high level of technical competence with
            minimal supervision.”


To complement formal education by experiencing:
   Ungraded performance – success/failure, timely accurate work always
     expected
   Organization based on little direction, imprecise, rare feedback; a focus on
     results
   Hierarchical workplace structure
   Expectations and methods that are corporate (not individual)
   Priorities which may change suddenly
   Limited and regimented free time
   Team effort most of the time
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GEO 771: PRACTICUM


    Few a priori ‘right’ answers
    Lots of initiative, perhaps long hours


The purpose of this course is not only to acquire workplace experience, but also
to have students develop and personalize a strategy for acquiring a fulfilling
position.

Specific Goals:

Students come to understand:
 the kinds of job opportunities and constraints that meet their specific needs

 what a job application entails (In preparing materials it is especially important
  to pay meticulous attention to details. Employers are known to dismiss
  outright applications that contain spelling or grammatical errors, or that fail to
  address advertised job qualifications)

 who potential employers are, and what they expect from employees

 places where specific job ads may appear, including positions posted (via
  email) by the instructor

 how to respond efficiently to job announcements (The intention of having
  one’s application stand out must be taken seriously meaning that content and
  design must enhance but not overstate positive qualities)

 how to respond to requests for an interview

 how to prepare for an interview

 how to perform at an interview

 what to do after an interview

 what to gain from the placement experience
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GEO 771: PRACTICUM


Student responsibility:
   successful attainment of employment is primarily the student’s
     responsibility
   maintain 2-way communication with course instructor
   provide all submissions (then access to contacts lists of placement
     prospects)
   apply for positions
   acquisition of acceptable employment

Instructor Responsibility:
    every effort is made by the course instructor to ensure that students are
      aware of the preparation that must be undertaken
    provide feedback on completed submissions until professional standards
      are achieved
    encourage 2-way communication
    once all initial submissions have been received, provide advice and
      contacts regarding prospects for those actively seeking employment
      individual advice and attention will be provided as necessary
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GEO 771: PRACTICUM




Workshop 1: Goal assessment

Questions to pose yourself:

 What are your overall expectations for a placement (specific skills, duties,
  knowledge)?
 What pay is acceptable?
 How important is location (accessibility)?
 How important is the branch of Geography (the focus of the employer)?

Activities:

 Where to seek job opportunities: compile a list --
    o Internet what key words?
           E.g job categories from Human Resources                     and Skills
                Development Canada
                http://www5.hrsdc.gc.ca/NOC/English/NOC/2006/Search
                Complex.aspx search on:
                  Geo
                  Geog
                  Geograph
                  GIS
                  Land
                  Location
                  Real Estate
                  Geomatics...
      o contacts, directories, university Student Services, conferences,
        associations, personal contacts

 What are your interests, marketable skills, strengths that coincide with the job
  ads you have discovered?

 Consider the qualifications (technical, personal, etc) sought in the ads, and
  decide how persuasive you could be in meeting them honestly