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Career Boost Graduate & Law Program

To participate in the Career Boost program, you must reside in Ontario for the entire duration of your approved Career Boost period. Students residing out of Ontario are not eligible for Career Boost.

About the Program

The Career Boost Graduate & Law program provides jobs to eligible full-time graduate students or Faculty of Law students at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU).

The program works in partnership with academic units, administrative units, faculty, staff, and students to support the practice and scholarship of learning at TMU. 

To participate in the program, students should complete the following steps:

  1. Review program details and eligibility requirements listed below and apply online through AwardSpring (external link, opens in new window) . It is on the onus of the student to ensure they meet and maintain eligibility requirements for the entire duration of the approved period. 

     Note: Please do not apply through the Career Boost application via the Career Boost portal (opens in new window) . That application is specifically for undergraduate students.

  2. Once you log onto AwardSpring, if you meet the qualifications, you will be matched to the opportunity under your “Dashboard.” The Career Boost Graduate & Law eligibility application will appear under “Follow-Ups.”

    Upon selecting "Complete Follow-Up" you will need to complete the yes/no question that asks if you wish to be considered for the Career Boost Graduate & Law program. You can view screenshots of the AwardSpring process on the  (google doc) student application guide (external link, opens in new window) . Until this is completed, your application is considered incomplete and not submitted.

  3. Once you submit your eligibility application on AwardSpring, please wait five business days to receive a decision on your application. Approval will be sent to your institution email by Student Financial Assistance.

  4. Searching for job opportunities is done on a separate platform from AwardSpring. If approved for the Career Boost Graduate & Law program, students may view job postings by logging in to the Recruit Students Portal (opens in new window) .

  5. If you are successful in obtaining an interview, please bring a copy of your approval email to the interview. You are welcome to start applying to/interviewing for job opportunities prior to receiving Career Boost approval. Note that any job offer you receive is contingent on securing Career Boost approval before your official start date.

Program Details and Significant Dates

 

Program Details

Duration

Fall 2023: September 5 to December 8, 2023

Winter 2024: January 8 to April 5, 2024

Number of Weeks and Hours Per Week

Fall: 14 weeks
Winter: 13 weeks

Up to 15 hours per week - no overtime

Number of Positions Per Student

A student can hold only one Career Boost Graduate & Law position at a time.

Hourly Wage

Up to $23/hour

Student Eligibility

Please refer to the criteria under Am I Eligible.

 

Significant Dates

August 23, 2023 to January 26, 2024

Students interested in participating in the Career Boost Graduate & Law program for fall/winter must submit an online application and receive approval prior to commencing work.
 

Program Details

Duration

Period 1: May 6 to August 9, 2024
Period 2: May 20 to August 23, 2024

Number of Weeks and Hours Per Week

14 weeks, 35 hours per week - no overtime

Number of Positions Per Student

A student can hold only one Career Boost Graduate & Law position at a time.

Hourly Wage

Up to $23/hour

Student Eligibility

Please refer to the criteria under Am I Eligible.

 

Significant Dates

March 14 to May 24, 2024

Students interested in participating in the Career Boost Graduate & Law program for spring/summer must submit an online application and receive approval prior to commencing work.

Am I Eligible?

In order to qualify for the fall/winter Career Boost Graduate & Law program, all of the following criteria must be met: 

  • You are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or Protected Person.
    • If you are a Protected Person, you must hold a Social Insurance Number (SIN).
  • You are officially registered as a graduate student in a full-time graduate program or registered as a full-time law student for the above-noted semesters
  • You have a clear academic standing and a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.0 or higher (waived for first year, first semester graduate and law students)
  • You are utilizing at least one of the following funding resources for the relevant above semesters:
    • Government assistance (either OSAP or out-of-province student funding);
    • Line of credit from a banking institution or private lender; or 
    • Accessing Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) funding 

Note: If you are not utilizing at least one of the above mentioned funding resources, you may be asked to provide a written explanation and budget form as to why you did not apply for one of these resources.

You are not eligible for Career Boost Graduate & Law if: 

  • You are an international student. For more information, please visit the Career Boost - International section of Student Jobs at TMU
  • You are not actively enrolled and attending classes in all relevant above-noted semesters;
  • Will only be attending full-time graduate studies for one semester; 
  • You are graduating in October;
  • You are registered as a part-time student for the above-noted semesters; or 
  • You are in a Professionals Master’s Diploma program (PMDip)

In order to be considered for the spring/summer Career Boost Graduate & Law program, you must submit a separate spring/summer AwardSpring application (external link, opens in new window) . The spring/summer and fall/winter Career Boost applications are two separate applications. Even if you received fall/winter Career Boost Graduate & Law approval in the past, you must submit a new application for spring/summer.

All of the following criteria must be met in order to be eligible for spring/summer Career Boost Graduate & Law:

  • You are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or Protected Person.
    • If you are a Protected Person, you must hold a Social Insurance Number (SIN).
  • You were officially registered as a graduate student in a full-time graduate program or registered as a full-time law student for both fall and winter semesters of this current academic year
  • You have a clear academic standing and a cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of at least 2.0.
  • Law students: You will be returning to Toronto Metropolitan University as a full-time law student in the upcoming academic year for both the fall and winter semesters.
  • Graduate students: You will be enrolled full-time for the entire duration of the spring/summer semester (May to August) for which you request approval
  • You have applied for at least one of the following:
    • Government assistance (OSAP or out-of-province student funding);
    • Accessing funding from a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP); or 
    • Line of credit from a banking institution or private lender. 
  • You demonstrate a financial need of at least $100 (determined through your Career Boost application)

You are not eligible for spring/summer Career Boost Graduate & Law if:

  • You are graduating in June
  • You are a newly accepted graduate or faculty of law student to Toronto Metropolitan University, and have not begun your full-time studies by the start of the spring/summer term

Student Responsibilities

Participating in the Career Boost Graduate & Law program is an exciting and enriching opportunity. However, there are several responsibilities that eligible students must adhere to. We have listed these responsibilities below:

  • It is the student’s responsibility to ensure they apply for Career Boost Graduate & Law approval by the deadline date outlined above. If a student applies for a position and is offered the position, but has not received final Career Boost Graduate & Law approval, this does not guarantee that the student is eligible for the Career Boost Graduate & Law program.
  • It is the student’s responsibility to ensure they maintain all eligibility requirements outlined above for the Career Boost Graduate & Law program, for the entire duration of their position.
  • Approval by Student Financial Assistance does not guarantee that all students will receive a Career Boost Graduate & Law job. It is the student’s responsibility to apply and interview for positions.
  • Students can only hold one Career Boost Graduate & Law position at a time. Students can apply for as many jobs as they wish, however once they’ve accepted a position and have been hired, the student is expected to honour their commitment to one employer.

    If a student considers any subsequent offers, they may not be eligible for any Career Boost Graduate & Law positions. On a case-by-case basis, students planning to move from one position to another will be required to provide an explanation for the change in positions, and confirm agreement from both employers and Student Financial Assistance.
  • It is the student’s responsibility to enter hours worked into eHR on a biweekly basis, and ensure the employer approves worked hours by the payroll deadline. Monitor your hours to ensure that you do not exceed the maximum number of hours allowable per week.
  • Questions regarding payroll, inputting hours, etc. should be directed to Human Resources.
  • Students who receive a Career Boost Graduate & Law position must contact Student Financial Assistance if there is a change in program delivery and/or academic standing which may impact their eligibility. Students will be paid for all work hours already completed but may be required to resign from their position if they are no longer eligible.

Additional Notes

Student Financial Assistance has also put together this helpful checklist to support students participating in the Career Boost Graduate & Law program.

For details, please refer to the Am I Eligible section.

  • You are welcome to apply for Career Boost Graduate & Law job opportunities before receiving an approval through email from Student Financial Assistance. Note that any job opportunity you are offered remains contingent on securing program approval.
  • Provide a copy of your approval to the employer at the start of the job interview. 
  • Confirm the work hours and rate of pay during the job interview.
  • Ask the employer for a copy of the job responsibilities.
  • Ask the employer to outline their expectations, protocol for keeping in touch with the supervisor, break times (if applicable), and reporting hours worked.
  • Ask the employer how work assignments and supervision of work will be managed. 
  • Submit a request in advance to the employer to change hours worked. Provide an explanation and ask about any consequences if hours or days of work are changed. 
  • Enter hours worked to eHR on a biweekly basis. 
  • Check that the employer approves work hours by the payroll deadlines in eHR. 
  • Monitor hours and do not exceed maximum hours per week.
  • Ask your supervisor regularly for feedback about work performance. 
  • The employer, in consultation with Human Resources, may terminate employment if the student is not meeting job expectations or is frequently absent.
  • Submit the Experiential Learning Reflection Interview at the end of your work term.

Disclaimer: Student Financial Assistance reserves the right to change the listed information and/or program values without notice. The availability and monetary value of the program are subject to change.