Skip to main content

12th IEP Conference in Toronto - Feb, 2015



It was a pleasure to speak at the 12th Annual Internationally Educated Professionals (IEP) Conference on Feb 27 this year at the magnificent Metro Toronto Convention Centre.

This was the second IEP conference I attended in a row and I was overwhelmed see the level of interest among delegates to connect with the speakers and to network with other delegates as a pivotal strategy to achieve career success.

What was more heartening to see was the quality of questions the attendees raised during the panel discussion. It pointed to their good grasp of the challenges faced by newcomers and their resolve to overcome them through the many strengths they bring with them to Canada.

Like the previous year, importance of investing time and effort in personal development and networking with other professionals in the field featured as two main themes of the discussion.

I underscored my position on the importance of positive attitude and perseverance both during and after job search. I spoke anecdotally to my understanding of how to build a strong personal rapport with prospective employers long before they have or do not have a job to offer. Proactively brushing up your skills to stand out from the competition and be seen as a valuable future addition to your employer is the key to success. This requires demonstrating the very same skills that you would be expected to use in your job. I reiterated the importance of training ones' mind to think like a successful person and always being forthcoming and willing to help others around you.

Some specific techniques for job search were also discussed and my fellow speakers did an incredible job at inspiring the delegates to think outside of the box when approaching prospective employers. Bob Lank, Group Leader Development at CEO Global Forum shared his wisdom on learning from more experienced mentors and making the most of one's time interacting with people who have traversed the path before you. Marcus Paul, President at Crownmark Investments also shared valuable nuggets of insight on career success, specifically with reference to developing one's core competencies and soft skills. He had some very interesting stories to share from his own experience to drive the point home.

All in all it was a wonderful experience meeting young energetic professionals from all over the world united through their common goal - making an impact in the lives of people through their work.

I wish you all the very best as you embark on a new professional journey as new Canadians.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Back to the Basics of Self Empowerment - Victim or Creator?

A young boy I was mentoring years ago as part of a program run by  The Citizens Foundation  in Pakistan blurted in middle of a group pep talk, "You don't understand sir, the whole world is against me; the teacher never gives me the marks that other students get for the same work." Being a mentor, I was a bit taken aback by that downbeat remark but I realized that I had to be sensitive to how strong emotions from other students might come into play. Before I even had a chance to wrap my head around the possible nuances of the comment, another boy cut in "But sir, he does not even try." Rewind one week to the orientation session; we all gathered in a small room already filled with a bunch of passionate boys and girls all wanting to make a real difference in the lives of less privileged students living on the outskirts of Karachi. An equally enthusiastic speaker adorned in crisp white shalwar kameez spoke about the Victim-Creator model of thinking. I was fas...

2014 Internationally Educated Professionals (IEP) Conference, Toronto

I spoke as part of the "Sales, Marketing and Communications" sector hub in the 11th Internationally Educated Professionals (IEP) Conference at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto on Friday, April 11, 2014, attended by over 800 delegates. Please refer to the conference report for details. The focus of the IEP Conference is to bring IEPs from the five diverse sectors together with stakeholders to get career advice, discuss labour market information, and provide an orientation to Canadian job search practices and workplace culture. Conference stakeholders include: government, business professionals, educators, professional associations, regulatory, accreditation and credentialing bodies, and community-based organizations. The theme of this year’s IEP Conference was innovation, collaboration and cultural intelligence, building on the new IEP Conference format introduced last year. As always, networking is one of the pillars of the conference and the need f...

CIBC Awarded 2014 Employer of Distinction Award by ACCES Employment

I had the distinct honour of presenting the "2014 Employer of Distinction Award" to CIBC on behalf of the management and board of directors of ACCES Employment in ACCES’ 28 th Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, Sep 30, 2014. The event was attended by Hon. Michael Chan, Minister of Immigration, Citizenship and International Trade for the province of Ontario as the guest of honour, senior executives and board members of ACCES, as well as by members of the sponsoring organizations, prominent government institutions and the community at large. ACCES is a non-profit agency supported by the United Way. ACCES is a leader in connecting employers with qualified job seekers from diverse backgrounds who are primarily newcomers to Canada.  CIBC received this award for over 50 ACCES-sourced hirings through events such as ACCES Speed Networking and occupation specific programs like the Financial Services Connections Program. ACCES is an excellent example of an organizat...