Indigenous persons
- Amanda Vos
- Linda Liu
- Matthew King
Note: Each person’s identity comprises multiple social factors and experiences, creating unique experiences of discrimination and privilege. These identities can impact our access to resources and inform how we interact with the corporate hiring system. Indigenous students’ experiences can vary greatly, depending on whether they live on a reserve, have family on one, are diasporic or are status or non-status.
When navigating this content, a self-compassionate and intersectional approach may help you make meaningful and intentional connections that will help you thrive. Every aspect of job application should empower you in a way that centres your needs as an Indigenous student. Corporate and educational structures are different and not necessarily compatible with Indigenous community structures. It’s important to know that there may be a learning curve while navigating these systems. The resources shared here are shared to support you in your job search and may not cover all that you need.
If you have suggestions for this guide or would like support navigating it further in another format, please get in touch with us by email or phone, and we will try our best to add the resources that you need. Alternatively, you can book an appointment to discuss this guide further with a career advisor in person or virtually.
Reflection
When beginning your work search, a good place to start is to take time to reflect on what you are looking for in a job opportunity. Consider the issues that impact your community or are important to you. What organizations are you familiar with that do work in these areas and might interest you? What is it about those spaces that you are drawn to?
You may wish to find work that offers a holistic balance across all parts of your life and aligns with your personal values and beliefs. Additionally, working at an organization prioritizing cultural diversity can help create a safe and welcoming workplace where your Indigenous identity is respected and appreciated. How you navigate the intersections of your identity within the context of work is a personal choice.
Questions to consider when beginning your job search:
Note: We recognize that some of the above considerations are privileges that some students may not have as part of their job search. If you feel that you have been discriminated against for your Indigenous identity—or any other aspect of your identity—there are supports available to you. Students in co-op have the option to contact their co-op advisor.
If you are a regular (non-co-op) student participating in the EDGE certificate program and facing harassment as part of a work or community experience, you can contact co-op.accessibility@uwaterloo.ca for support.
More information about options and considerations for who to connect with can be found in the safety and your rights at work section of CareerHub.
How can I build a network to support me in my work search?
Consider the following questions:
Who already exists in my network that I feel safe to connect with?
Are there Indigenous professionals or role models in my field I can reach out to for guidance and support? How might I best connect with them?
What other supports can I access to support me in my work search (cultural organizations, career centres, professional organizations, etc.)? Note that a list of job boards can be found further down in this page.
What does it feel like to navigate LinkedIn in a way that feels authentic to who I am? What do I want to share about my identity in this digital space?
Looking for jobs, developing a better understanding of an industry or connecting with someone for networking can feel daunting. It takes significant effort, and it is important to find the resources and mentors who will empower you in your job search. Among some of the most important things to ask yourself are the questions around disclosing your identity, the job or organization’s alignment with your personal values and needs, and support systems that you can reach out to. Here are some helpful tips and resources that may help you make this decision.
Topic | Ask yourself | Possible approach |
|---|---|---|
Disclosing Indigenous identity | What if I am asked to share my identity in an industry or organization that is not culturally sensitive? | There is no expectation for you to answer this question. Share only when/if you're comfortable. You can also decline. Add as much and as little of being Indigenous as you want. Both are valid forms of presenting yourself. We understand that these are not easy decisions. The Association for Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning BC/Yukon has a set of excellent resources. You may find the following resources on self-identifying useful: |
Your values and needs | Does the job description, industry and geographical location align with my values, needs, skills and the impact I want to make on the world? | Choose an industry and organization where you see a value and needs alignment. This may help you flourish in your chosen career. |
Support systems | Do I have the support to prepare my job application documents in a way that leverages my lived experience, academic strengths and prior work or volunteer experience? | For University of Waterloo students, the Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre | Shatitsirótha' (WISC) is a great place to start. It is a safe space designed to encourage well-being. Searching and applying for jobs, finding a work-integrated learning (WIL) placement and building your career all require grounding, and we hope that you start from a place of strength. You can also contact Elder Myeengun Henry. He collaborates with the Office of Indigenous Relations and with the Faculty of Health community and identifies and contributes to building reciprocal and respectful relationships with Indigenous individuals and communities. Outside of the University of Waterloo, you can reach out to a job board organization, an Indigenous student support center or an Indigenous-focused employment center to seek support. |
Tips for your résumé
A résumé is typically a one-to-two-page document that tells a potential employer what you can do, who you are and what you know. This could include information about your past volunteer and work experience, your education, interests, hobbies and skills you possess that would allow you to succeed at the job. There’s no one way to create a résumé. Ultimately the goal is to provide enough information to allow the employer to evaluate your qualifications and to convince the employer to invite you for an interview. Find more resources on the purpose of a résumé and what employers are looking for in application documents.
When building your résumé, consider your strengths and experiences and how they relate to the job description. Some job descriptions will state explicitly that they are looking to recruit Indigenous learners and others will not. In either case, all the skills acquired in all contexts of your prior work, volunteer and lived experiences are invaluable in workplaces. The difference is that it might be easier to translate your experiences while embracing your identity for a job that values your Indigenous identity. For other job postings, you may have to build some context for yourself and your employers. It might even feel a little uncomfortable when you are telling others about the wonderful skills you have.
Here are some sample questions you could ask yourself to get you thinking about your strengths and experiences. We have suggested some transferable skills associated with some of these experiences that employers value:
Type of experience | Questions to ask yourself | Transferable skills used (examples that could be used in a résumé) | Value of skills in résumé |
|---|---|---|---|
Assisting an Elder in the community | What skills did I use while assisting? |
| Each one of these skills has value in the workplace. Make sure to let your employer know the work you did and the skills you have and how you used them in that work. The provided example is a generic statement and it can be personalized further by adding specifics of the task. A bullet point in your résumé could look like this: Communicated respectfully with supervisor/Elder to understand their needs to complete a task efficiently (this example includes your Indigenous connection. Feel free to keep it or remove it per your situation.) |
Pow wow volunteer | What skills did I use while volunteering? |
| All these are aspects of community care and excellent customer service. All these skills also have a lot of value in the workplace. A bullet point in your résumé could look like this: Created a plan to help various people find their way to the pow wow venue to ensure that they use their time effectively to enjoy events. (This example includes your Indigenous connection. Feel free to keep it or remove it per your situation) |
Work done in community/with a group of people | How did I get the work done with others? |
| All these qualities of working in a team, collaborating and applying principles of diversity, inclusion and respect can make all the difference in working together. A bullet point in your résumé could look like this: Adapted and learned about cultural differences to work collaboratively and delivered high-quality work in a team (This example does not include your Indigenous connection).
|
For all jobs, it is important to show how you have developed the skills and knowledge you have and the ways in which you have applied them to gain experience. Here are some tips for achieving that:
While talking about your Indigenous identity, roots and culture may be a way to show your knowledge, sharing or not sharing are both valid strategies depending on your context. The resources by the Association for Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning BC/Yukon, in the first table, offer a critical perspective on this topic.
We know that identity and connection to your Indigenous communities can be challenging. As a result of colonization, displacement and intergenerational trauma, many people and families have been disconnected. In some instances, connecting to community and family may not be possible. Only if you can do so safely, start to connect with your Indigenous community in ways that feel good to you. This could be through someone you know, attending community events or even conversing with family and friends. This is an extremely personal and individual journey, and we recommend you to be mindful of the emotional burden and your needs. For the job samples previous, you can choose to show or not show engagement and connection to your Indigenous or chosen communities. If you do, it should be in ways that feel good for you. You could lean on community connections made at WISC and even consult Elder Henry Myeengun.
Translate your experiences for the workplace
Are you a volunteer for an Indigenous student group or community? How did you contribute to organizing cultural activities? Did you help mentor youth in your community? Did you help build a budget or fundraise for an event? These valuable experiences showcase your agility in understanding Indigenous values, teamwork and collaborations. They also showcase your leadership, event organizing and networking competencies.
Make bullet points impactful
Make sure you show the results achieved through a particular task or experience and why it mattered to your organization, person or employer.
Do not assume that the employer will understand the impact of your actions and the methods you used to complete a task.
Tips for your cover letter
A cover letter is a one-page document that is often sent along with your résumé when applying for a job. It should describe your interest in the role or company and how your skills and experiences align with the job requirements. Like crafting a résumé for jobs that center your identity vs that don’t, a cover letter is an opportunity to tell your career story.
Show your impact through storytelling
For jobs that celebrate and include Indigenous identities, we encourage you to weave your cultural heritage into the professional narrative of why there is a value alignment with the work, and why it is that you are a great fit for a role.
For all jobs, use storytelling methods to engage your employer by focusing on how your talents, skills and experiences could help you achieve all responsibilities for the role.
Ask yourself if your Indigenous identity can bring strength in a role and in what ways?
Find more support with application documents or check out appointments and workshops.
Job interviews can be daunting and nerve-wracking for many. Most corporate jobs are only beginning to understand Indigenous ways of being and are still more accepting of Eurocentric ideas of politeness, communication and ways of being. Something to keep in mind is that the employer may not fully understand Indigenous ways unless people are interviewing you in an Indigenous organization. Considering these systemic challenges, some folks choose to code-switch/mask in their work environment.
Reframing an interview as a two-way conversation can not only be a helpful way to reduce anxiety but may lend itself to storytelling and building a reciprocal relationship between you and the interviewer. Think about how you share your experience with your friends, family, aunties, uncles or people that make you feel comfortable. An interview should feel like a respectful interaction, allowing the interviewer to discover your skills and strengths while you assess whether there's alignment with the team and organization's values.
In some cases, workplaces earlier in their decolonization journey may conflict with your Indigenous ways of being. Protecting your peace and well-being—emotionally and physically—is crucial. For support in navigating this complex experience, you can visit the Waterloo Indigenous Students Centre (WISC) in United College at the Waterloo campus. If you feel that you have been discriminated against for your Indigenous identity—or any other aspect of your identity—there are supports available to you. Students in co-op have the have the option to contact their co-op advisor.
Where it is safe and appropriate, opting to self-identify as Indigenous in an interview can be an opportunity to emphasize how your identity and background can be an asset to the team. Consider how you can highlight your unique perspective—that could be through community engagement, cultural awareness and sensitivity or resilience and strength just to name a few! What other strengths do you think about when considering your Indigenous identity?
Displaying confidence in an interview is one way to demonstrate that you are comfortable with the subject matter and self-assured in your abilities. In many Indigenous communities, resilience and confidence derive from communal support and care, leading to a focus on collective accomplishments. These can help in the workforce by developing teamwork, conflict resolution and communication skills, enabling you to highlight how their roles within groups helped move the group forward.
While prioritizing the community is important, it's also essential to recognize individual contributions within an interview to demonstrate to an employer the attributes you can bring forward to the role. Are there specific skills you learned or tasks you were responsible for within a project? Practicing interview answers out loud with a trusted friend or connecting with a career advisor are great ways to further develop interview skills to help you feel prepared.
- The Grand River Employment and Training (GREAT) job board is an Indigenous non-profit organization providing employment and training support to Six Nations band members regardless of their residency, job seekers and employers across Ontario.
- Indigenous Careers is a part of the Indigenous Works, an Indigenous-led organization governed by a board of directors (Indigenous-majority governance), set of resources that connects First Nations, Inuit and Métis with inclusive employers across Canada.
- Government of Canada’s portal for jobs for Indigenous People is dedicated to seeking First Nations people, Inuit and Métis with all levels of education and experience to help build a more inclusive and representative public service.
- Miziwe Biik Aboriginal Employment and Training – job board is part of the The Miziwe Biik Employment Resource Centre (ERC) and offers regularly updated job postings and resume and cover letter support for Indigenous people in various career stages.
Centre for Student Involvement & Careers, the First Nations House of Learning, the Indigenous Working Group, UBC and recent Indigenous graduates from UBC. (2020) Career Navigation for Recent Indigenous Graduates. Retrieved from https://students.ubc.ca/sites/students.ubc.ca/files/Career Navigation Guide - Indigenous Students_Recent Graduates_1.pdf
Cull, I., Hancock, R. L. A., McKeown, S., Pidgeon, M., & Vedan, A. (2018). Indigenous Ways of Knowing and Being. https://opentextbc.ca/indigenizationfrontlineworkers/chapter/indigenous-ways-of-knowing-and-being/
D’Antimo, S. (n.d.). Navigating Two Worlds: Paths to Indigenous Career Success. Indspire. Retrieved from https://indspire.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Navigating-Two-Worlds-Report-EN-Final-WEB.pdf
Indigenous Careers(n.d.) Choose from 52 live job openings. Retrieved October 5, 2024, from https://www.indigenouscareers.org/
Indigenous WIL Resource Hub | ACE-WIL | Association for Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning BC/Yukon—ACE-WIL | Association for Co-operative Education and Work-Integrated Learning BC/Yukon. (2021, November 23). https://acewilbc.ca/projects/indigenous-wil-resource-hub/
Grand River Employment and Training (GREAT) Job Board(n.d.). Retrieved June 5, 2024, from https://greatsn.com/job-board/
Miziwe Biik Job Board. (n.d.). Retrieved October 5, 2024, from https://miziwebiik.com/employment/job-board/
Public Service Commission of Canada (2020, October 23). Government of Canada jobs for Indigenous people. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-service-commission/jobs/services/gc-jobs/jobs-indigenous-people.html
Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre,Shatitsirótha’,United College. (n.d.). Retrieved May 5, 2024, from https://uwaterloo.ca/united-college/waterloo-indigenous-student-centre-shatitsirotha