These days, it’s become clear that simply having a bachelor’s degree, or even a graduate degree, isn’t always enough in today’s competitive job market. The good news however, is that there are still plenty of ways to make yourself stand out from the competition. This summer, consider finding ways to build your soft skills. There are plenty of free and valuable certifications you can pursue when you have a little free time. When it comes time to complete job interviews, not only will you have some new certifications and skills to discuss, but also a bigger network and more self-confidence. Who knows, maybe the growth you invest in this summer will be exactly what leads to the career you’re dreaming of in the future. So, let’s dive into some key soft skills and ways of building them!
Soft skill: Leadership
Certificate: Community Leadership Certificate (CLC)
If you’re looking for an accessible, free, and meaningful way to build your leadership and collaboration skills, look no further. UW’s CLC certificate combines four workshops with a 10-hour leadership requirement to earn this certificate. Once completed, you’ll be better informed about what it means to support collaborative team building, lead with curiosity, and effective means of conflict resolution. This certificate is open to all UW students and you can register for workshops on the UW Portal site.
Soft skill: Personal initiative
Certificate: Sustainability Leadership Certificate
Are you looking for the opportunity to pursue a self-guided credential that combines leadership, personal action, learning, and professional experience? If so, then the Sustainability Leadership certificate is the perfect opportunity to advance your knowledge of sustainability and empower yourself to integrate a similar mindset to your current and future career and educational pursuits. To get started, you’ll want to login to LEARN and select the self-registration tab to register in the certificate course. From there, you can review the required activities under each category and submit your proof of completion as you progress through the requirements.
Soft skill: Interviewing
Certificate: EDGE Certificate
If you’re a current student not enrolled in a co-operative education program, consider participating in UW’s EDGE program. You’ll have the opportunity to complete certificate requirements at your own pace and develop valuable professional skills that will stand out to future employers. There are six required milestones to receive this certificate. In total, you’ll complete one skills identification and articulation workshop, one career development course, three work/community experiences, and one capstone workshop. Register for the EDGE Certificate by logging into WaterlooWorks and selecting the ‘Submit a Form’ tab. From there, enter your respective personal information and submit the form. UW’s EDGE team will reach out to you regarding your current eligibility status for the program and next steps.
Soft skill: Self-reflection
Course: Journaling for Wellbeing
Sometimes, taking the time to slow down and self-reflect through the written word can open the door to the most meaningful kind of personal and professional growth. Developed by Lynn Long, a Senior Education and Learning Specialist at UW, she developed a self-directed course available to students seeking personal transformation through writing. As you progress through the course, you’ll be introduced to six different reflective writing tools. You’ll develop a practice of writing your thoughts regularly, enabling the chance “to listen to the things you are telling yourself on a daily basis.” During the reviewing and revising process, you may find a new perspective emerges as you look over older journal entries. In time, you might just be able to identify emergent themes in your writing that can ultimately lead to developing a healthier sense of self. To get started, you’ll want to login to LEARN and select the self-registration tab to register in the course.
Soft skill: Personal well-being
Course: Rewiring for Happiness
Campus Wellness offers a self-directed wellness program; Rewiring for Happiness. This self-paced course helps you build a toolbox of well-being skills. The course is based on positive psychology strategies, promoting the value of empathy, connection, mindfulness, gratitude, and kindness. You can enroll in the course by logging into LEARN and selecting the self-registration tab to select the course and register.
Soft skill: Mental health leadership
Certificate: More Feet on the Ground
A great certificate for anyone looking to improve their understanding of mental health concerns and understand the symptoms of varying conditions. This free online certificate can be completed on the More Feet on the Ground website anytime. You’ll be better equipped to support yourself and fellow students.
Other opportunities to build meaningful skills
There are a variety of programs and learning opportunities both in-person and online you can consider pursuing.
Aquatic Leadership Certification
The City of Waterloo is offering a free adult aquatic certification program! If you’ve ever wanted to be a lifeguard or swim instructor, now’s your chance. This program is open to anyone over the age of 21. You’ll be asked to register in a swim skill assessment to determine suitability for the leadership program. If you pass the assessment, you’ll be invited to pursue their daytime certification program. The program takes place twice a week from September to December 2026. You’ll graduate the program with the following certificates:
- Bronze Medallion, Intermediate First Aid and CPR C
- Bronze Cross and National Lifeguard
- Lifesaving Society Instructor and Swim Instructor
Register in the skills assessment by visiting the City of Waterloo’s aquatic program registration page and searching for ‘Skills Assessment: Free Aquatic Certification Program’.
Campus Wellness offers a variety of unique volunteer opportunities that can help you not only build highly employable skills, but also expand your network.
- Campus Response Team (CRT)
If you already possess a valid First Aid and CPR certification and are interested in taking on a role as a campus first responder, apply to join the CRT team. Visit the CRT page under UW’s Campus Wellness website to apply.
- Peer Health Education (PHE)
Help support holistic student well-being on campus! As a PHE, you’ll work with Campus Wellness staff to plan and support a variety of health campaigns tied to mental health, harm reduction, physical health, and sexual health. Visit UW’s Campus Wellness volunteering page to complete the Peer Health Education volunteer application form.
