Build your business savvy with Concordia’s GradProSkills
Whatever career you pick, having a basic understanding of administrative concepts gives you an edge over your peers.
That’s why GradProSkills wants to provide Concordia students with a foundation that includes some of the most useful business concepts they will encounter throughout their professional lives.
GradProSkills is a program that offers professional development workshops and resources designed specifically for graduate students. Their Business Essentials Series is their latest collaboration with the John Molson School of Business (JMSB).
The workshops cover topics from marketing to accounting, data analysis and HR. Designed and delivered by JMSB professors and graduate students, they involve a theoretical portion as well as activities and discussion.
“The financial statements workshop was incredibly useful,” says Hesham Maghrabie, a PhD student in Systems Engineering and budding entrepreneur. He has attended five out of the seven workshops available.
‘Climb the ladder’
The GradProSkills team recognizes that employers want employees who can see the bigger picture and fit into an organization. For example, an engineer tasked to design a product will benefit from understanding the marketer’s perspective on consumer behaviour.
Maghrabie agrees.
“We are not taught these skills in our regular programs, but they will make a difference when we seek to climb the ladder, either in academia or in the industry.”
The transferable skills introduced in the two-hour workshops apply to numerous real-life situations. They also offer an accurate overview of business school for those envisioning a transition.
Frederica Martin is manager of Academic Programs and Development with the School of Graduate Studies. She credits JMSB’s interim dean Stéphane Brutus for facilitating the process and getting so much talent and expertise on board.
“We’re looking forward to future collaborations between GradProSkills and JMSB. We thank the participating professors for sharing their expertise and making this program a success.”
Completed GradProSkills workshops will be marked on students’ records of participation, which can be handed to future employers or included in grant applications.
Graduate students, register for one (or more) Business Essentials workshops offered by Concordia’s GradProSkills in collaboration with the John Molson School of Business.
