Concordians taking care of business
A real-world education is exactly what Arpi Armoudian associates with Concordia. The BComm graduate, now a senior human resources representative at PepsiCo Beverages Canada, trusts Concordia as a source for top talent. She has hired fellow Concordians both as interns and for permanent positions through the university’s career centres.
The Choose Concordians initiative encourages just that — graduates hiring fellow Concordians. “Our alumni recognize the value of the education they received at Concordia. We’re working to help them tap into the rich Concordia network and advance the careers of our talented alumni,” says Rose Wangechi, coordinator of the Choose Concordians program.
Launched through Concordia’s Advancement and Alumni Relations, the initiative capitalizes on services offered by the university’s three career centres: the Career and Placement Service (CAPS), the John Molson School of Business’s Career Management Services (CMS) and the Institute for Co-operative Education (Co-op).
Through these centres, the Choose Concordians program offers job-posting services, on-campus recruitment, career fairs and a pool of talented students and alumni from all faculties.
Previously responsible for staffing, Armoudian regularly worked with CMS to recruit for PepsiCo’s Sales Leadership program. The beverage giant has been hiring at Concordia for more than a decade and every year the company’s on-campus efforts net two or three new hires.
“We’ve worked with other universities, yet I find our success rate at Concordia much higher. We look for individuals who are driven, hardworking, eager to learn and who are not afraid to gain experience from the ground up. That’s the culture at Concordia,” Armoudian says. “Also, the support from the staff is unparalleled. I am very pleased with the success we’ve had with the university thus far.”
Her supervisor, fellow Concordia alumna and senior HR manager Marylène Ayotte, BComm 97, agrees. “We’ve had a great partnership with Concordia for many years,” she says, having worked with Concordia career centres in previous roles at PepsiCo. “They’ve taken the time to get to know us well and understand our needs and consistently provide excellent service.”
Prior to joining PepsiCo, Armoudian was a Co-op student. “Co-operative education allows our students to alternate between periods of formal academic study and full-time work related to their program, which provides them a golden opportunity to obtain valuable on-the-job practical experience,” says Gerry Hughes, Director of the Concordia Institute for Co-operative Education.
Armoudian spent two work terms at Medisca Pharmaceutique Inc., where she was exposed to staffing, training and development, payroll and various projects – valuable experience for a student looking forward to a career in human resources.
She was hired for the internships by another Concordia alumna: Jennifer Pinsky, BComm 04, Medisca’s human resources manager.
“I feel Concordia graduates stand out due to their real-world perspective, which they gain both in the classroom and, for Co-op students in particular, through their work experience. They develop more realistic expectations of what goes on in a workplace,” Pinsky says.
“Hiring Co-op interns is the best preview you can get to see how a potential future employee performs. From the employer’s perspective, we get a driven, enthusiastic and excited student that is eager to learn, open to feedback and willing to give 110 per cent,” says Pinsky, a former Co-op student herself. “The benefits for the students are the real-world experience, the hands-on knowledge they gain and the confidence to succeed once they graduate.”
Adds Hughes: “We trust that our graduates will feel good about giving back to their community through the Choose Concordians program.”
Related links:
• Choose Concordians employability program
• Concordia Institute for Co-operative Education
• Concordia Career and Placement Service
• John Molson School of Business Career Management Services
• PepsiCo Beverages Canada
• Medisca Pharmaceutique Inc.