Put it into Practice

Description: Competitive pressures have never been higher, and are going to keep rising. Career prospects are uncertain. The workload is brutal, the hours punishing, the stress intensifying. The choice? Accept this fate, or take the only avenue that leads to success on your terms.

Biography: In elementary school, Larry already knew he wanted to teach. By high school, he found himself fascinated with innovation, entrepreneurship and markets. Economics seemed to him to be the best choice to combine his interests. A student at The University of Western Ontario (PhD) and the University of Guelph, Larry holds his B.A. and M.A. from the University of Waterloo. Specializing in forecasting and the economics of innovation, he has worked with governments, financial institutions, professional associations and companies developing new markets or new products. An Adjunct Associate Professor, Larry has happily taught ten percent of Waterloo’s alumni. He is a recipient of the University’s Distinguished Teacher Award. In November 2011, Larry delivered a TedX Talk entitled “Why You Will Fail to Have a Great Career.”

Concurrent Sessions 5:45 PM-6:45 PM (CHOOSE ONE)

Concurrent Session #1: Informational Interviews Even You Can Use

Location: UCC 67

Presenter: Angie Allan, Career and Life Coach

Description: With only 20% of job opportunities being advertised and over two million job titles in Canada, the job search process can be challenging. How do we learn about the 80% of opportunities that are not advertised, and how do we know what job titles exist? Many of us have heard that informational Interviews are a successful job seeker's best kept secret, but few of us really understand what they are or how they work. Join Angie Allan (BA '97) as she demystifies informational interviews, and gives you tools you need to successfully conduct your own. This session will be geared to Introverts and Extroverts alike.

Biography: Angie (B.A. ’97) has spent most of the last 15 years in various Recruiting, Resource Procurement, and staff deployment roles. She has worked for a variety of organizations in the Management Consulting, Executive Search, and Government sectors. Additionally, she has maintained a vibrant Career and Life Coaching practice (trained at Adler/OISE), where she specializes in working with clients looking to take control of their careers. Angie is an enthusiastic supporter of informational interviews, and has experienced both sides of interviews that have gone well, and could have gone better. Angie has returned to Western University to pursue a degree in Psychology. In her spare time, she is on the eternal search for tasty Quinoa recipes.

Concurrent Session #2: Transitioning Out of Academia: Personal Accounts of Successful Transitions

Location: UCC 210

Panelists:

Ken Meadows, Educational Researcher, Western University

Ken Steele, Co-founder, Academica Group

Jennifer MacLean, Director of Business Development, Mitacs

Description: While a graduate degree is no longer considered solely training for academic employment, many graduate students remain hesitant to pursue careers outside of academia. Many graduate students spend their academic careers preparing for a teaching position, and when confronted with the idea of leaving academia, have no idea where to begin. Join our panel of individuals as they share insights from their own successful transitions.

Concurrent Session #3: The Graduate Student Advantage: Recruiters talk about Graduate Student Skill Sets and Experience they value when hiring

Location: UCC 147a/b

Panelists:

Darryl Vaz, Managing Director, Meducom Health

Ryan Gangle, Recruiter, Info Tech

Third Panelist To Be Confirmed

Description: What types of skills and education are recruiters and hiring managers looking for when hiring candidates with graduate degrees? How can you make your research and academic experience speak to potential employers? Many organizations value advanced degrees but graduate students sometimes struggle to communicate their skills effectively. In this session, industry leaders share what they look for in potential employees and offer advice on improving your marketability.

Networking 6:45 PM-8:00 PM

Location: Mustang Lounge (main level of UCC)

Description: Graduate students and postdoctoral scholars are invited to join us for an opportunity to network with representatives from a number of companies and organizations including:

Academica Group Inc.
BizInc.
Info Tech
The Stiller Centre
Meducom

Refreshments and light snacks provided.

Student Success Centre