How Do Career Panels Or Appearances Work?
Career panels or appearances involve inviting McMaster alumni or other guests to share their firsthand career experiences to help students understand the career paths available to them, the nature of day-to-day work in a specific role, field, or profession, or other career-focused information.
The kinds of career-focused sessions promoted here are different from academic subject matter experts delivering guest lectures sharing their insights on a field.
When Should I Reach Out?
Six weeks or more of lead time in recommended for any classes, sessions, or events involving triangulation between instructors, staff members, and outside partners.
How Can I Make The Visit A Success?
The biggest challenge to sessions featuring career visitors, historically, has been low turnout during optional extra-curricular or co-curricular events.
- Wherever possible, it is recommended that career sessions involving visitors be incorporated into the regularly scheduled proceedings of a course meeting.
- Requiring student attendance and requiring a for-credit reflection assignment can also help to make a session a success by motivating student engagement.
Scheduling outside visitors to attend on-campus events in-person outside of class time (as a special event or co-curricular experience) is not typically recommended by the Careers & Experiential Education team due to attendance and turnout risks related to student barriers to attendance.
Is There Funding Available To Give An Honorarium?
No, honoraria are not typically available within Faculty of Social Sciences for career-oriented alumni visitors or other guests, in keeping with McMaster’s practices around alumni engagement, gift-giving, and event management. However, parking passes are available to ensure accessibility and reduce barriers. Furthermore, if the visitor is acting as a trainer or facilitator for a hands-on workshop or training, resources may be appropriate through Trainer-Facilitator Funding.
Additionally, the Office of Community Engagement has piloted an Community Engagement Honorarium Fund that may be appropriate for use in some contexts.