Prepare for the future with an Experience Record 

Participation in experiential learning opportunities like library workshops can be reflected on your Experience Record, a tool intended to support and document your experience and educational growth throughout your time at UM. Your official Experience Record can help you articulate achievements and skills to potential employers, graduate schools, or scholarship committees and provide you with clear understanding of the transferable skills you gain from co-curricular activities. 

Qualify for Experience Record notation with library workshops 

Library workshops provide the opportunity to learn essentials skills for current and future academic success, from introductory workshops on how to search the library, to advanced workshops on research skills. Workshops are available for undergraduate and graduate students and are offered both online and in-person. 

The following library workshops series can now be added to your Experience Record: 

• Library Essentials: Complete a minimum of three Library Essentials workshops and up to two other workshops offered by the Libraries to qualify. 

• Graduate Student Research Workshop Series: Complete at least five of six sessions to qualify. 

• Systematic Review Workshop Series: Complete all five sessions to qualify. 

Students can apply here to have the Library Essentials or Graduate Student Research workshop series recognized, while students attending the Systematic Review workshop series will have their attendance confirmed by the instructors.  

View the  Libraries’ events calendar to register for upcoming workshops. 

Student leadership can help you flourish, both personally and professionally! The range of skills you can develop is as wide as the variety of opportunities for leadership on campus. Here’s just a few examples…

Social connections and communication skills

In a leadership position, you get to meet and develop relationships with a variety of folks at UM! If you get involved with your department’s student group, for instance, you’ll find yourself getting to know your cohort of peers much better. Or, in an interest-based group, you’ll get to forge connections across departments and faculties, with students you might’ve never run into in a classroom setting. More connections means more opportunities to develop communication skills! Over time, you’ll find that you can write email messages or approach people in-person more confidently.

Conflict management and diplomacy

For a student leader, every bump in the road is an opportunity to learn. As club executives, for instance, leaders have to learn how to delegate responsibilities and explain duties in a respectful way. Conflicts can be uncomfortable, but you’ll learn crucial skills like how to de-escalate arguments, or when to seek advice and mediation.

Creativity and problem-solving

Being a student leader often involves coming up with novel ideas to fit specific circumstances! You might find yourself brainstorming ideas for a student event or improvising when plans fall through.

Financial literacy

Many leadership positions involve handling or planning around money. If you were a treasurer, for instance, you would learn how an organisation holds its funds, handle transfers, or design budgets!

Time-management skills

Leaders have to manage their own schedules in different ways – sometimes, they have to manage schedules for others and big groups, too! Whatever kind of position you find yourself in, you’ll learn how to balance your academics with your extracurricular activities and whatever else takes up time in your life. You might also find yourself planning event or meeting times and learning how to balance different peoples’ needs.

Once you get involved, you’ll notice these skillsets enhancing your personal life, academics, and career. Just like you get credit for the skills and knowledge you gain in your classes, you can get credit for your leadership involvement, too! The Experience Record is a digital resource that tracks your involvement in recognised activities outside of the classroom – like an academic transcript, but for all different kinds of opportunities! Instead of just adding new bullet-point to your resume, you can show future employers or admissions offices a verified record of your involvement at UM.

Learn more about accessing and adding to your record on the Experience Record page of the UM website or view your current record through UM Connect. If you’re wondering where to start, check out our recent article about how Student Experience and Development can point you in the right direction [hyperlink when available], or browse the Experience Catalogue for current opportunities. Still have questions? Reach out to ExperienceRecord@umanitoba.ca!