“…Oh! I’m from Calgary,” She said. “But there is an organization that does what ERIEC does in Calgary, so why do you have to come to Edmonton,” I questioned. “They do not do this kind of event,” she replied. This was an exchange I had with a lady who came all the way from Calgary to attend the 9th Edmonton Region Immigrant Employment Council (ERIEC)’s Global Talent Conference themed, “How to Diversify your Professional Network,” in conjunction with the Governments of Canada and Alberta.
The 2019 annual Global Talent Conference took place on February 27, 2019, at the Fantasyland Hotel and Conference Centre at West Edmonton Mall in Edmonton. The hall was packed, so too was the agenda. Kick started with an energetic keynote presentation on, “How to Step Outside your Comfort Zone to Success,” from the exciting Dean of the MacEwan University School of Business, Dr. Wanda Costen, ERIEC’s Global Talent Conference attracted hundreds of internationally educated professionals looking to connect with and be inspired by leaders from different Edmonton based organizations. Bank of Montreal (BMO), Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA), Shift Management, MacEwan University, NAIT, Cultural Connections Institute (CCI-LEX), Robert Half, and the City of Edmonton, constitute some Edmonton organizations that form part of a Marketplace that kept the participants busy with networking and useful information during the coffee breaks.
“…I met three people at my table who worked for a company that I have applied for…,” Yemi shared. “…Most of the participants here are like me…,” another participant exclaimed. “…I was so down, you inspired me…,” Gregory interrupted. “…a big thanks to the organizers for organizing this very useful event…,” another participant shared with his friends. The conference was free of charge, but the networking opportunities and the content of the conference was invaluable.
Dr. Costen summarized how to build a network in six steps; introduce yourself, explain why you are connecting with the person, share your story with the person, make your request, follow up and show gratitude. Tara Dragon of Work Evolution took to the stage to share that recruiters spend less than two minutes per resume and very difficult when there are hundreds of resumes to deal with. Stephen Bull, Assistant Deputy Minister for Service Alberta, Government of Alberta, in a presentation interspersed with humour, shared that Alberta government usually ask technical and behavioral questions. Bull advised that when it’s time for interviewees to ask their own questions, it is advisable to make your questions meaningful and show that you have done your research and what to impress.
