The first event of this year’s Smart Connections and Branding Yourself series was hosted by ERIEC last June 23rd at the Matrix Hotel in Edmonton. With its mandate to connect international professionals to business, ERIEC has designed this workshop series to help educate internationally trained professionals to align themselves with meaningful employment opportunities in Canada.
“Learn, connect, and then smartly apply what you learn today to your current career situation,” Executive Director Doug Piquette told the crowd of over 185 Smart Connections participants.
The first speaker of the morning was Nimir Raval, an immigrant from India and an Edmonton-based Social Worker who addressed the topic of professional intelligence emphasizing the importance of professional investment, involvement and integration, as well as reflection. “You don’t learn through your experiences but through the reflection of your experiences,” stated Nimir.
The keynote speaker was Ms. Tonya Syvitski of Robert Half who candidly shared with everyone her thoughts and recommendations on the importance of business etiquette as well as her perspective on e-presence when it comes to social media tools in Canada. Tonya graciously offered to engage with Smart Connection participants following her keynote presentation via a dedicated on-line LinkedIn Group which will be created later.
The day ended with a lively human resources panel discussion specifically on pre-screening processes, the job Interview and networking tips provided by a group of renowned local HR specialists from Edmonton.
So what did participants think about this first event on “Branding Yourself”?
Here’s how people responded to the survey: On the question, “How helpful was the information you gathered from this session in improving your job search/career path?”
59.26% of all respondents found the session to be “Very Helpful” and 24.07% – “Extremely Helpful
To the question: What was the most valuable thing you learned today?
- “It has made me more aware of the realities of on-line applications and the advantages of directly meeting with the company”
- “I learned more things about technology etiquette and on how to use mobile devices and social media”.
- “How to effectively brand and market myself!”
- “A good Introduction into networking, some great ideas for what to say and how to find networking opportunities”.
- “How important networking is in Canada”.
Thanks to all of the participants, community partners, employers and speakers for their contributions and collaborations in helping to make another great ERIEC event!