1. Welcome to the Evisors Webinar
Visit us online at www.evisors.com
What I wish I knew: how to successfully
transition from student to professional
featuring
Karen Couldrey
Hosted by: Career Advisors on Demand..com/webinars

2. What I wish I knew: how to successfully
transition from student to professional
About Karen
Education
• Queen‟s University, B.Sc. Mathematics & Engineering
Experience
• Associate Director, Scotia Capital
• Director, Bila Golf
• VP Corporate Communications, Laurion Mineral Exploration
• Sales Trader, Analyst & Investment Banker, UBS Securities
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3. What I wish I knew: how to successfully
transition from student to professional
About Karen
What it means to be ‘professional’
Planning your career path & building your personal brand
Managing expectations
Work life balance
What can I do to prepare while still at school?
Helpful job search hints!
Q&A
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4. What it means to be professional
• As a young professional, you are always looking to project an
older, more mature and more competent you
– aka Fake it til you make it
• Under commit, over deliver – people need to know if you commit to
something, it will happen
• Ask for help if you need it, but think through the solution first
• The little things
– Show up on time, always
– Dress appropriately for your job. If you look young, make
an effort to dress older
– Be respectful to everyone around you
– Don‟t take sides in office drama
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5. Planning your career path & building your
personal brand
• No one cares more about your career than you
• Assess where you are, where you want to be and what‟s required to
get there … every 6 months
– Sometimes just to remind you that you‟re happy where you are!
• Develop an expertise in your first few years out of undergrad or MBA
– what do you want to be known for?
– Become more valuable to your current employer
– Have clear marketable skills
• Don‟t always wait for someone to ask, suggest ways you can grow
your role in the direction you want
• Look for a mentor – someone who you naturally „click‟ with
– They don‟t have to be perfect molds of who you want to be but they should share
some common traits, experience or goals
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6. Managing expectations
• Probably the most important skill I‟ve learned
• Make sure you understand what has been asked of you
– Ask clarifying questions… but make sure you‟ve spent sometime thinking about
the problem and potential solutions first!
– Understand the priority relative to what else you‟re working on!
• Plan out your approach before starting – better to align on that before
spending your weekend or evening on a piece of analysis
• If you‟re going to miss a deadline, communicate it early!
• Make sure your manager is aware of tradeoffs
– “I estimate this will take 2 days, if I do this extra piece of analysis we should get a better answer
but it will take another day or so”
• When you present your manager with a problem, have
a few solutions thought out
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7. Worklife Balance
• Different than school!
– Get yourself ready for the time shift by getting up early leading up to a new job
– Limit your social calendar until you know the expected time commitment at your
new work place
– Always make time for what is really important to you
• Networking is important
– Attend after hours events (but not at the expense of being
productive at work the next day)
– Ask to take colleagues you respect out for lunch
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8. What can I do to prepare at school?
 Read! For example in Finance:
– The Economist (Global)
– The Wall Street Journal (US)
– The Financial Times (UK)
– The Globe and Mail (Canada)
 Take electives to round out your knowledge.
Helpful for Finance:
– Technical writing
– Accounting
– Economics
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9. Still looking? Helpful job hints
• Network – LinkedIn, friends, family, school alumni…
• Stay on top of your sector – reading, educating yourself
• Find something valuable to fill your time that adds to your experience
and attractiveness to an employer
– Volunteering
– Entrepreneurship
– Certifications
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10. Thanks for Joining!
Book your session with Karen at
www.evisors.com/expert/211
Hosted by:See the rest at evisors.com/webinars/webinar/19