Are you an international student interested in professional and personal development? Consider joining the award-winning Professional Skills Development Program (PSDP), a free, non-credit program designed to equip current international students with the foundational skills and knowledge needed to prepare for professional employment in Canada. 

Combining the latest in career education with experiential learning, participants are expected to attend 6 in-person workshops and complete assigned activities in order to expand their networks and demonstrate employment readiness in line with Memorial University's Student Success Competencies, building confidence in areas such as professionalism, critical thinking, digital literacy, intercultural awareness, and communication. Topics explored include (but are not limited to):

• Career Development, Career Exporation, and Skills Identification

• Resume and Cover Letter Writing

• Job Searching, Networking, and Using LinkedIn

• Technological Developments in the Hiring Process: AI Applications & Considerations

• Interview Skills and Strategies

• Workplace Standards

• Intercultural Communication

• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism at the Workplace

Upon completion of the workshops, deliverables, and assignments, students will receive a certificate and have the option to add the PSDP to Memorial's Online Record of Experience (MORE).

Registration is now open for the Fall 2025 cohort of the PSDP. For more information, including details about the workshop schedule, please refer to the Program Syllabus/Outline or email the International Student Career Advisor. Please note: spaces are limited. 

To be notified of future offerings, sign up for the weekly IO Listserv. (To receive the listserv, please send an email with your request to international@mun.ca.) 

Demonstrating Excellence in Student Services

The Professional Skills Development Program is a two-time recipient of the Award of Excellence in Student Services presented by the Atlantic Association of College & University Student Services (AACUSS).

For more on the program's outcomes, please see the 2022-2024 Impact Report.

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Global Skills Exchange Work-Integrated Learning Placements

When funding is available, participants of the PSDP may also be eligible to apply for short-term work-integrated learning placements, currently known as the Global Skills Exchange (GSE).

We would like to acknowledge the Office of Immigration and Multiculturalism and various employer partners across the province with whom we have partnered to support these placements since 2022. Program participants have gone on to secure employment with a range of organizations including Econext, Brightisle, the Community Sector Council of NL, Business and Arts NL, and Verafin, among others.

To find out more about the GSE, please view our 2022-2024 Impact Report. To express future interest in engaging our PSDP students as an employer, please contact psdp@mun.ca for more information.