Student FAQs

The ACT to Employ Team cannot guarantee student placements. We will work diligently to place ACT to Employ students in valuable experiential learning opportunities.

The focus of the ACT to Employ Program is to support Carleton students in hands-on, experiential learning opportunities. This means that each placement must align with the student’s field of study, interests and/or skills, as well as offer an opportunity for the ACT to Employ student to use and develop their transferable skills.

Transferable skills are those that you acquire and develop through experience, and transfer to a future employment opportunity

Examples include:

• Communication skills
• Interpersonal skills
• Organization and Time Management
• Leadership

For more information, please see the transferable skills website.

There are three ways you may obtain employment through ACT to Employ:

• Access and apply to job postings through mySuccess (via Carleton Central)
• Inform the Student Counsellor of a department or campus service you are interested in. The ACT to Employ Coordinator will reach out to that department/service to advise of the Program and will post any job postings to mySuccess
• Conduct a self-directed job search, in which you use your personal network to cultivate a connection and obtain a job offer. You can provide the Student Counsellor with the contact details of your connection, and the Coordinator will reach out to explain the ACT to Employ program. If the position in question meets the program’s criteria for experiential learning and you have been offered the position, you will be placed.

The ACT to Employ intake process allows the Student Counsellor to discuss your:

• Interest in taking part in the ACT to Employ program;
• Academic program;
• Previous employment history;
• Skills, abilities, interests, and strengths;
• Current academic accommodations;
• Anticipated workplace accommodations; and
• Career goals

The intake meeting also allows you to meet the ACT to Employ Student Counsellor, who will be your main point of contact for any questions, concerns, or support throughout your placement experience.

The intake is not a formal interview. The meeting is an informal conversation about the Program and about you; the process usually takes 30-40 minutes.

Students can visit Career Services in 401 Tory Building Monday-Friday between 8:30am-4:30pm for a drop-in appointment.

You may access Career Services’ Job Search Support website at any time for education and resources regarding job postings, job search, networking, and resumes.

• Please reach out to Career Services to have it reviewed
  • Mention that you are part of the ACT to Employ program, looking for a resume review appointment
• Implement the recommended changes to your resume, and send a copy to the ACT to Employ Student Counsellor.
• If you are called for an interview, please contact Career Services for interview preparation
  • Mention that you are part of the ACT to employ program, looking for interview preparation and/or a mock interview
• Contact the ACT to Employ Student Counsellor if you have any additional questions about the ACT to Employ process, or if you have additional details to add following your intake meeting

No. The decision to disclose the specifics of your disability with an employer or supervisor is entirely up to you. As an ACT to Employ participant, you understand that employers will know that you have a disability and that you may require accommodations; however, specifics about your disability will not be disclosed without your consent.

The ACT to Employ team encourages students to maintain open communication about their accommodation needs with employers. If you would like assistance facilitating a conversation with your employer about your specific needs, please contact the ACT to Employ Student Counsellor – that’s what we are here for!

There are a number of things to keep in mind when considering disclosing accommodation needs to an ACT to Employ employer:

• The need for accommodations should not affect your chances of getting a job, unless the requested accommodations are to the point of ‘undue hardship’ for the employer;
• Your employer will not know any specifics about the nature of your disability unless you choose to disclose them;
• Part of the ACT to Employ team’s job is to educate employers and supervisors about the potential associated with hiring persons with disabilities, and to dispel the notion that requiring accommodations makes an individual less qualified to do the work; from an ACT to Employ perspective, it is important for employers to understand that the person who is most qualified, regardless of accommodations needs, should be offered the position;
• Whether or not an individual requires accommodations, they will bring a unique perspective to the workplace that an individual without a disability might not be aware of – diversity of perspectives is a benefit to employers.

If you identify as a person with a disability and are a current student at Carleton, but are not already registered with the Paul Menton Centre (PMC), we will connect you with a PMC Coordinator for assessment of suitability for the ACT to Employ Program. At that time, you will be able to decide whether you would like to register with the PMC or not. All ACT to Employ participants must identify as a person with a permanent disability and have supporting documentation from a designated professional.

• Placements in the Fall and Winter terms are generally part-time (between 5-10 hours per week), as current students will be enrolled in courses.
  • Questions about the number of hours per week (e.g. whether you can work more than 10 hours per week), are to be directed to the Student Counsellor
  • A caveat to this is for registered and active Co-op participants, who are eligible to explore full-time employment opportunities that fall within their work/study schedule
• Placements in the Summer term can either be part-time (5-10 hours per week) or full time (30-40 hours per week).

ACT to Employ provides on-campus employers with a wage subsidy of $15/hr for part-time positions (up to 120 hours per term). Employers are required to pay students at least $15/hr, but can offer more if they are able to do so.

Employers are required to pay students during the work term via regular payroll. As such, for on-campus positions you will be required to complete hourly time sheets to be submitted to HR (your employer will provide training).

If you successfully complete an ACT to Employ placement, you are eligible to be considered for another placement in future terms. However, students are not able to take part in two placements during one term. An exception to this is during the summer term, where students can be eligible for more than one part-time position at a time; please be advised that each request of this nature is reviewed on a case-by-case basis and must be approved before a student confirms with an employer.

Congratulations on your graduation! If you graduated within one term of the start of your ACT to Employ placement, you are still eligible to participate. If you graduated outside of this window, we suggest you connect with the ACT Program by visiting Career Services (401 Tory Building) or contacting ACT directly. Both Career Services and the ACT Program are available to assist current students and graduates (regardless of when you graduated) with questions related to career exploration and job search support.