TRAFALGAR SCHOOL FOR GIRLSMARCH 30TH, 2012

Career Day

Good Morning!

Thank you very much for this honour! Thank you Gail!

Very happy to be here with you this morning

Interactive!

Not talk about my career, but more about my general professional experiences

3 lessons

My education

Trafalgar 90- 95Marianopolis CEGEP 95 – 97

Liberal Arts

York University (Toronto) International Relations ( French)

Dalhousie University/ King’s College ( Halifax) Political Science BA Honours

SDA Bocconi University ( Milan, Italy) MSc in Intl. Healthcare Management and Economic Policy

Where I have worked?

United Nations (Bonn, DE)

United Nations VolunteersLundbeck Canada ( Montreal, Canada)

Danish Pharmaceutical CompanyGlaxoSmithKlien Biologicals ( Brussels, BEL)

An English Pharmaceutical CompanyUnited Healthcare ( Paris, France)

American Clinical Research OrganisationFox Consulting & Neomedis ( Paris, France)

Pharmaceuticals

My journey

Finished my degree at DalhousieStarted at the UNSeptember 11th, 2001Returned to MontrealStarted in the Pharma IndustryWanted to go furtherWanted to go InternationalDecided to move to MilanI have now been in Europe for over 8 years

Today

Let’s start withThe importance of your social network ( building it)

The importance of opportunitiesLet’s finish with The importance of believing in yourself & trusting your instinct – the little voice in your head!!!!!!

Your Network

What is a social network?

Your Network

A social network is a theoretical construct useful in the social sciences to study relationships between individuals, groups, organizations, or even entire societies. The term is used to describe a social structure determined by such interactions.

BASICALLY : the people you know and the people who they know!

Family, friends, relatives, teachers, doctors etc….. TRAF – for example

The importance of your social network

You guys are the Social Network Generation on line

Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter… etc

LESSON #1 It is not WHAT you know, but WHO you know It’s a cliché because it’s true HOWEVER – YOU MUST BE CAREFUL!!!!! The written word ( even on the internet is powerful)

The importance of your social network

« DO I HAVE A SOCIAL NETWORK? »Of course you do -Look next to you!Your class mate is your next job!

The people you know will help you in the future

The way business works is very dependant on trust, connections and references

Which means that you will most probably work with people that know you or know of you

My Experience

First job in Montreal My sisters’ friends’ mom ( Traf alum)

My first pharmaceutial job My moms’ friend was the recruiter

My job at GSK Biologicals An ex-student from the company came to talk at Bocconi and then he referenced me for the job

He then later on tried to recruit me for a job I wasn’t at all suited for

My first job in France I was hired because I was Canadian and from Montreal

My first consulting job Hired by an old colleague who I had stayed in touch with

Our business at Neomedis Driven by contacts

What about Social Networking in a new place

You want to move somewhere else, Start a career

My advice to you BUILD YOUR SOCIAL NETWORK

International schools Groups (Expats, career) New friends

Stay in touch Easy, fast and great way to know what is going on!

LinkedIn

My LinkedIn

Your connections can introduce you to 6 million professionals

— here’s how your network breaks down: 

Your Connections, trusted friends and colleagues 580

Two degrees away Friends of friends; each connected to one of your connections 136,800+

Three degrees away Reach these users through a friend 5,761,700+

8,643 new people in your network since March 24

SOCIAL NETWORKS ARE IMPORTANT!!!!

Opportunitites

What is an opportunity ? A favourable or advantageous circumstance or combination of circumstances

A favourable or suitable occasion or time A chance for progress or advancement

Example: My opportunity to speak with you today Your opportunity to go to TRAF!

Opportunities

Opportunities are essentialPresent themselves in two ways:

They present themselves (Passive) Someone proposes a job

You make them happen (Active) You actively look for a job ( internet, mail, talking about it)

Evaluate the opportunity

Not all opportunities are created equal! Job offer for example The guy who tried to recruit me – GSK

Evaluate each opportunity Can I do the job? Will I love the job? Can I work with these people?

My experience Going to Bocconi in Milan Applied for a MSc

Leaving for Milan

How did I evaluate my opportunity?Looked at the positive & negative aspects

My check list – What did I want? More education, international experience, English classes, chosen professional area, meet people with my same interests

Obstacles Distance (for my parents, not me ) Costs – Needed to find funding Find an appartment, etc……..

Evaluating opportunities every day

Will you need to evaluate opportunities with regards to your schooling and career

This is something you will have to do every day for the rest of your lives Evaluate business opportunities

Where should we spend money Who should we be partners with How should we expand our market

Critical and objective thinking is key but………

Believe & Listen to yourself

Most important piece of information I will give you!

LISTEN TO THE LITTLE VOICE IN YOUR HEAD

The key to success is believing in who you are and what you do. Because if you are not convinced, then you will never be able to convince anyone else!

Successful people are driven by conviction They belive in what they are trying to do

If you want to do something – then do it!

My experience

I wanted to work for the UN Wrote about 200 letters I was convinced – they were convinced The day after I finsihed university – I left for Germany – alone

I wanted to go international Applied to schools Applied for funding

I believed in myself and was convinced of what I was doing! (Even in my personal life!)

Saïd & Sarrah

Finally….. To wrap things up

Listen to the little voice inside of you!

Your instinct is very, very powerfulLet it help you guide your choices in life If you make decisions that you are not convinced of – meaning that the little voice inside of you is saying NO – then don’t do it.