Learning from a pro
The final year of university is a lot like staring at the New Year’s Eve ball in New York’s Times Square moments before countdown. That gigantic iron-framed crystal ball hangs motionless in one position. It’s safe in mid-air. The New Year is about to start, but not quite yet. There’s still time to quadruple check your resolutions, switch around your priorities - procrastinate a few milliseconds longer….Boom! The ball falls down. Happy New Year! Welcome to the workforce.
I was comfortable in the mode of what-will-I-do-when-I-grow-up, until I saw a notification for an email from Concordia. Dinner for Eight: Career tips over dinner. “Can’t say no to dinner,” I told myself as I opened the email with a giddy smile on my face. “Share a free meal with fellow students and get some practical career advice at the same time.” I connected the dots (dinner * free * meal) and without continuing to read the rest, I signed up.
Dinner for Eight, organized by Concordia’s Alumni Relations, functions on a first-come-first-served basis, and provides students with the opportunity to dine with Concordia graduates working in their field of study. The journalists available were CTV Montreal anchor Mutsumi Takahashi or CJAD 800 AM Executive Director, Kim Fraser. Some of my former professors work at CJAD 800 AM, so I was curious about Kim Fraser. Shortly after I registered for the event, I was informed that the dinner was called for Saturday night at 7 p.m. at the Otto Ristorante in the W Hotel. Fancy.
Then it hit me. I needed to start thinking about the job process and how I was going to jump into the rat race of the media industry. Kim Fraser would be a great networking contact. My head was spinning with questions. How do I prepare for this dinner? Do I prepare an introductory monologue? Should I bring trivia questions if things start to get awkward? Should I learn some magic tricks, like how to disappear in a flash of light?
It was mid-afternoon and I didn’t have much time left. After emerging disoriented from my closet that seemed to have been hit by a hurricane, I realized that I was in desperate need of dress clothes. In a race against time, I sped to the nearest shopping center.
“Nah, too overdressed, might seem too eager,” I tell myself looking in front of my mirror trying to decide which color and combination of clothes I should wear to the dinner…All of a sudden, I’m running down the cold damp stairs towards the metro hoping I don’t fall flat on my face in the process.
Kim Fraser arrives and the dinner for eight begins. My attention is divided between eyeing the garlic bread and analyzing the situation. I’m starving, but I don’t want to be the first person to dive into the bread. Right away someone jumpstarts the conversation and asks Kim Fraser how she became an executive director.
The conversation was flowing. The topic of Egypt’s current political situation jumped to Quebec’s immigration policies and then continued on potential ways to improve the elementary school system. The subjects became more personal as people spoke about their upbringings in different countries and personal life experiences. I listened to the many interesting questions that were left unanswered-what is journalism and where is it heading? After taking some time to reflect, my answer finally came to me, three years into my program. I finally was able to put my finger on what my field means to me.
Connecting with humanity and exposing the human element is what I want to uncover in daily life. So I broke my silence and asked Kim what her most memorable interview was. Her response was genuine and moving: an interview with a domestic abuse victim, which resulted in a series of male callers admitting they had been abused by their spouses. It was the first time most of those callers had summoned the courage to come forward and share their experiences.
Toward the end of the dinner, Kim Fraser reminded us of the terrors in journalism — the lack of jobs, horrible wages, and long hours. She advised us that the key to a career was to be well informed and accurate. Luckily, dessert followed those statements.
The night concluded with our goodbyes and our thanks to Kim Fraser being kind enough to share her experience. As she handed out her business cards, I let out a quiet sigh of relief. I had hoped that this dinner would lead to a professional contact. The sight of that business card reinforced the value of connecting with Concordia alumni because you need support rungs when building your career ladder.
Though questions still lingered in my mind about where my skills and profession will lead me, I left the night with two thoughts: I have to travel to Egypt and the simplest steps to success will always be a positive attitude and desire to listen, no matter what path I choose.
Related links:
• David’s blog
• Dinner for Eight