Brain Waves event: Marketing Your Graduate Degree

Karen McCrank

Director of Advising and Career Services

Bissett Student Success Centre

The Brain Waves group organized and hosted a professional development session for trainees at the Brain Repair Centre, Marketing Your Graduate Degree.

For this event, Brain Waves invited Karen McCrank, the director of Advising and Career Services from the Bissett Student Success Centre, to speak to graduate students on marketing a graduate degree and how to navigate the job market as post-graduate professionals.

The trainees were very receptive and positive to Karen’s presentation, where she emphasized taking advantage of networking opportunities and being aware of skills that are developed subconsciously, such as emotional intelligence and analytical thinking. Ultimately, Karen’s take-home message came to knowing one’s self beyond their degree and how these attributes can be attractive to employers.

Jeremy Toma, PhD

Professor, University of Toronto

BRC alumni

BRC alumni Jeremy Toma, PhD, who is now a professor and researcher at the University of Toronto, also spoke and offered advice to students on post-graduate job searching and networking. Dr. Toma called in via Teams and shared his experience navigating graduate school and the job hunt that ensued after graduation.

Dr. Toma reflected on experiences and his advise to students was to “not be afraid.”

Tareq Yousef

PhD candidate, Dalhousie University

BRC member

Tareq Yousef, a BRC member who will be completing his PhD this year, spoke on his experience as a current PhD candidate in the midst of completing his degree and starting a career in research and teaching. Tareq emphasized the importance of maintaining relationships and strengthening them beyond the labs and classrooms.

The even was co-organized by Brain Waves group members Tyler Wells and Pooyan Moradi and has been the first in-person event for Brain Waves since the Science Communications Panel in November and was attended by 20 BRC trainees.

The Bissett Student Success Centre is open for all Dalhousie students seeking academic and professional advising support and information.