On February 11, 2015 PC Pierre-Pascal Gendron and the Business School Placement Centre co-hosted a job market panel which was well attended by International Business degree students. 

The panel included graduates from Humber’s Bachelor of Commerce - International Business program, advisory committee members Andreas Hug (Management Consultant and Leadership Coach) and Lauri Asikainen (Principal Consultant, ConnectheTeam.com) as well as advisory committee member Blair Ruelens (VP, Customer Development) with his special guest, Christine Polstrok (Senior Director, Human Resources) from PepsiCo Foods Canada.

After an introduction to the panel, the spotlight was turned to students who had two hours to ask questions and gain insights into the “real world”. Topics ranged from work placement advice, key skills needed to succeed in the work force, growing industries and tips on effective networking. 

The panel offered up great advice including these tidbits:

• Make your own luck
• Be analytical, insightful and a great communicator to succeed
• Hiring managers will creep you on the Internet so make sure there isn’t anything on the web that will make them not want to hire you
• Understand and communicate confidently what you learned in your program
• Networking is not a single conversation. Think of it as a tree that needs to be watered to grow
• Be prepared and do your research when networking
• Know the company you are applying for. If it is important for the company to be involved with the community, showcase your passion for the community as well to illustrate you are a great fit
• Produce results faster than anyone expects you to

Following the discussion, students were invited to network with the panel.