As many of you know, in addition to working in Open Government, I teach a course entitled Professional Practice,which is part of the Advertising and Marketing Communications Management Program at Algonquin College. A program that I graduated from when typewriters were the norm, and which I eventually led in the nineties—until the internet lured me away.

The course is for graduating students and helps students transition from school to the workplace, the blurb from the program outline reads:

“Attitude, communication, and human relations are the key to surviving in the ever-changing world of advertising. This course helps you prepare for workplace success by providing practical expectations and useful tools to make a successful transition from school to workplace. The course discusses self-management, workplace politics and etiquette, building relationships, and tools for the future.”

A key part of the course is the speakers program where professionals just like you come in for an hour to share their wisdom and insights into the real world.

The main themes of the course are  personal brand, networking, and finance with an emphasis on the first two.  I try to bring in a variety of people, and not every speaker is from the communications industry. Some speakers dive deep into relevant topics while others simply tell their career story and engage in conversation.  Self awareness and career success are two common themes we explore, usually within a marketing context.

If you have some insight to share or an interesting (and motivating) story to tell, I would like to hear from you. This year there are potentially 16, 45 minute speaking spots available on Thursdays from January 14 to March 17.  The detailed schedule and other information is available in this google document.

Thanks, I hope the new year is good to you.
Thom