November is Career Month, a Canada-wide initiative that celebrates and supports professional development. By making career services and education more accessible, Career Month aims to prepare Canadians for the job market. At UFV, the Centre for Experiential and Career Education and the Alumni Engagement team have partnered up to help students, employees and alumni get ahead. 

There are multiple events to look forward to. One of the first is on November 6, where alumni Keenan Beavis (BBA ’17) and Tristan Taylor (Dip ’23) will be kicking off a month-long speaker series with a talk on A.I. in the Workplace. Tristan is the founder of the Canadian AI Advancement Institute, which delivers A.I. education and training. Keenan and Tristan are both members of Longhouse Media, a marketing company that helps more than 800 organizations across North America. If you’re wondering about A.I. integration, ethics or copyright, these two experts will be at the Abbotsford campus, room A225 from 5 pm to 7 pm to share their tips and tricks. 

On November 20th, a panel of alumni will gather to discuss how to Pave Your Own Career Path. Alumni Annamarie Yang (BA ’12), Ryan Chandra (BA ’09) and Bill Derksen (Dip ’09) will share how their post-grad trajectory diverged in unexpected and rewarding ways. Enjoy an engaging discussion and networking opportunity that’s both inspiring and informative; past and current students will be able connect, build professional relationships, and potentially collaborate on future career opportunities. This hybrid event will take place both virtually and in person from 11 am – 12:30 pm at the Abbotsford campus, room A225.   

Career Month will close with the How to Recruit Yourself event on November 28th. Alumni Adam Currie (BBA ’13) will return to share a behind-the-scenes look at the hiring process and the hidden job market. He’ll provide evidence-based strategies for branding yourself effectively and getting the job. Those looking for employment can increase their chances of success by learning how to incorporate labour market analysis, reverse engineered executive search methodology, and how to optimize tools like LinkedIn.  

“We’re thrilled to be a part of this collaborative effort to bring Career Month to life,” says Whitney Fordham, Director of Alumni Engagement. “UFV graduates are forever part of our community, and it’s a pleasure to see alumni return to share their expertise. Their knowledge has a lasting impact, especially in empowering the next generation of graduates to succeed.”

If the next stage of your career is feeling out of reach, Career Month provides a multitude of opportunities for professional growth. CECE and Alumni Engagement hope to empower and prepare people to step into the future they imagine.  

Click here to find out what this month has to offer. To learn more about CECE’s professional development services and upcoming events, visit their website.