Grad Career Week 2009: Find Your Footing

As we prepare for Grad Career Week March 16-20, 2009 the McGill Career Planning Service (CaPS) is keenly aware of the many networking opportunities that lay ahead for those graduate students who are willing to take full advantage of them. Since most job openings (85%) are not advertised, most of us find work through our contacts and their referrals. Most graduate students consider their network outside of academia negligible, although this can be disputed.  Therefore, CaPS has made networking easy by hosting a series of events (cafes, panels and presentations) that showcase over 50 careers, outside of academia, that graduates working locally have landed. They have agreed to share their career stories with you, to broaden your career awareness and help you find your footing.

All events are free of charge.  Registration is required.  To register for any events, please go to http://caps.mcgill.ca/new/events/grad_careerweek/2009/

Networking Cafés

The Cafe format involves round table discussions over coffee and cookies with a guest, who is a professional in a particular industry. Up to 9 graduate students will sit with this guest for 45minutes at a time. The graduate student can choose a maximum of 2 guests to meet. The focus of the discussion will be that person's career and the industry at large. The purpose is to broaden career perspectives & learn more about how to enter into a career in that field, explore alternative career paths and build contacts in the industry.

March 11th, 12:00 - 2:00

GCW: First Impressions : What Not to Wear

• Monica de Liz, Image Consultant, www.image4success.com [bio]

March 16th, 12:00 - 1:30

GCW : Communications Café Networking Made Easy

• Leila Kayali, Webmaster, Rights & Democracy [bio]
• Lauren Penney, Strategic Communications Advisor, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS), McGill Universitya [bio]
• Jean Francois Bolduc, Communications Advisor, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Montreal [bio]
• Donna Morris, Medical Writer and Editor, Freelance, B.Sc., MBA [bio]
• Will Nichols, Editor in Chief, Beesum Communications [bio]
• Kim Hogan, Regional Director, Communications & Marketing, Transport Canada [bio]
• Normand Daoust, Senior Communications Advisor, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat [bio]

March 17th, 12:00 - 3:00

GCW: CEGEP Fair

March 17th, 4:00 - 5:00

GWC: Salary Negotiations: Because YOU'RE worth it.

• Dr. Heather Vough [bio]

March 18th, 12:00 - 1:30

GCW : Consulting Café Networking Made Easy

• Cindy Finn, Director, Student Services, Lester B. Pearson School Board [bio]
• Caroline Samné - Principal and Managing Partner, New Horizons Organizational Effectiveness Consultants [bio]
• NASOS MAKRIYIANNIS, B.ENG, MBA FOUNDER AND GENERAL MANAGER, Komand Consulting [bio]
• Michelle Lavictoire (Nunas), B.Sc. (Agr.), BOWFIN ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING [bio]
• Theodore Zambelis, MEng. (Electrical) Consultant, Deloitte [bio]
• Anie-Claude Lamarche, Psychologist, Consultant, Knightsbridge [bio]
• Vincent Bérubé, PhD, Associate, McKinsey & Company [bio]

March 18th, 3:00 - 4:00

GCW: The PhD Entrepreneur Panel

• Rob Fairbairn, Ph.D., M.B.A., President and Founder of Delta Pharma Inc. [bio]
• Claude Théoret, President, Exvisu Canada [bio]
• Matthew Mather, CEO, MindHabits Inc. [bio]

March 19th, 12:00 - 1:30

GWC: Science Café Networking Made Easy

• Jasmine Bhathena, Ph.D., Scientific Evaluator, Marketed Biologicals, Biotechnology and Natural Health Products Bureau, Marketed Health Products Directorate , Health Canada [bio]
• Nicole Palmour, Coordinator, Neuroethics Research Unit, Institut de recherches cliniques de Montréal. [bio]
• David A. Gold, Regional Medical & Research Specialist, Neurosciences Division, Pfizer Canada Inc. [bio]
• Yoel Nessim, P.Eng., M.Eng., Urban services, CIMA+ [bio]
• Fariba Heidari, Services Professional, Ericsson [bio]
• Dr. James Sangster, Consulting Chemist, Sangster Research Laboratories [bio]
• Dr. Xuejun Zou, Senior Principal Scientist, Program Manager, FPInnovations [bio]
• Khaled Belghith, Ph.D., Programmer, Ubisoft [bio] with Mathieu Perreault (Talent Recruiment Specialist)

March 19th, 3:00 - 4:30

GCW: Concrete Steps to Great Public Speaking Skills

• Suzannah Baum, President, Ideal Communications, www.idealcommunications.ca [bio]

March 20th, 12:00 - 1:30

GCW: International Development Café Networking Made Easy

• Michael Watson, Director of Policy, Institute of Cultural Affairs International (ICAI) [bio]
• Michèle Joanisse, Executive Director, Development, McGill University [bio]
• Geneviève Cournoyer-Proulx, MSc., Consultant, Commission for Environmental Cooperation [bio]
• Dr. Wendy Thomson, CBE, Professor of Social Policy, Director, School of Social Work [bio]
• Richard Zereik, M.Ed. [bio]
• Margaret Shaw, Director of Analysis & Exchange, International Centre for the Prevention of Crime [bio]
• Elise Groulx, President,  International Criminal Defence Attorneys Association ICDAA President [bio] with Jean-Yves Litampha (LLM, Exectuive Director, ICDAA) and Laura Monica Chavez (Acting Program Manager, Afghanistan Project, ICDAA)
• Prof. Gilles Cloutier, Internationational Development Studies, McGill University [bio]