Download the Suitable app to access BOLD

Looking for guidance on which extracurricular activities would best aid in your professional development and where you can find these opportunities? Want to showcase your experience to employers and on LinkedIn? Check out the BOLD program on the Suitable app.

BOLD stands for Broadening Opportunity for Leadership and Development. This program within the Suitable app is an easy way to find a variety of out-of-classroom learning opportunities that you can take advantage of. Go on the app daily to see what cool events are happening on campus and off-campus. See how these events play into your own personal development and choose the ones you want to add to your calendar.

While GPA and academic success are still important aspects of a resumé, employers are giving increasingly more attention to student involvement in extracurricular activities. BOLD is designed to focus on nine competencies that employers have indicated as crucial for potential new employees. Example of categories are professionalism and work ethic, digital technology, critical thinking, and communications skills. BOLD sorts available events and activities into one of the competency categories, so you can keep track of how much you have developed in each of the categories.

There is a personalized aspect to BOLD, the app will send you push notifications about events and activities that focus on competencies that you haven’t developed as much. BOLD also allows you to earn points, level up and earn badges as you complete activities and attend events. A points leaderboard also allows you to see how you are doing compared to your peers. Additionally, you can download a link to add to your LinkedIn profile that will showcase the badges you’ve earned.

How is BOLD different from the co-curricular record? The co-curricular record is attached to your academic transcript and provided by UCalgary. CCR is simply a record.  

The BOLD program is now available as part of the Suitable app. Download Suitable from the Apple Store or Google Play Store and follow these instructions:

1. Download the Suitable app on your smartphone or electronic device.
2. Use your ucalgary.ca single sign-on (SSO).
3. You may have to sign in a few times and use the verification code sent to your smartphone for security purposes.
4. Search for an activity, experience, event or task that interests you.
5. When you attend the event or complete the activity or task, fill out the reflection piece to earn points and achieve a level badge.
6. Each competency has five levels to complete ranging from entry-level (Level 1) to proficiency (Level 5).
7. Each time you complete a level, a piece of that badge fills in until you have earned the full badge. There are a number of badges to collect, with new ones in development. The badges can go on your LinkedIn profile to showcase your achievements.
8. Share your profile on the leaderboard to see how you are doing amongst your peers.
9. Reference your BOLD profile during networking events or job interviews to show potential employers how you’re building your experience that is relevant to them.