Ryerson University Alumni Blog – Career advice for alumni, by alumni

Three major ways the last year has shaped trends for 2021 and beyond

Abdullah Snobar, Executive Director of the DMZ and the Chief Executive Officer of DMZ Ventures — Abdullah Snobar is the Executive Director of the DMZ and the Chief Executive Officer of DMZ Ventures. Responsible for the strategic direction and continued growth of both organizations, he leads in supporting Canada’s most promising startups scale their companies. Under his leadership, the DMZ was ranked the number one university-based incubator in the world by UBI global.

After a year like no other, what learnings can we take into 2021?

Eat, drink and be merry WITHOUT food guilt this holiday

Abbey Sharp, Food and Nutrition ’11, is a Media Registered Dietitian (RD), YouTuber, blogger, award-winning author, and mom. Abbey debunks nutrition myths and denounces diet culture on her Youtube channel, her acclaimed food blog, Abbey’s Kitchen and in her Gold Medal winning cookbook, the Mindful Glow Cookbook.

It’s officially the season to eat, drink and be merry, but for a lot of people who struggle with their relationship with food and their body, it is more likely to bring anxiety than joy.

I went to Shanghai to build a brand and failed

ALT — Haruun Dahir, Business & Technology ’16, is a digital marketing specialist. After graduation Dahir moved to Shanghai, China to pursue his dream of building an e-commerce empire from the ground up. It didn’t work out exactly as planned. Today, Dahir shares what he learned about business, himself and the world at failcare.com.

The most valuable lesson I learned at Ryerson was who I didn’t want to be. As my classmates were hunting for entry-level positions as analysts, project managers, and everything else in between, it dawned on me that I wanted nothing to do with traditional business.

The Lunch Box Dilemma

Stefania Palmeri is a registered dietitian who works in corporate health care, outpatient hospital programs and private practice. She is a graduate of the Nutrition and Food Program as well as the Nutrition Communication Post-Graduate Program through The Faculty of Community Services (School of Nutrition).

When I think back to my childhood and the back-to-school rush, I remember being excited about things like new scented markers and seeing friends. My parents, on the other hand, were battling the overwhelming dread of “What am I going to feed this child five days a week for the next 10 months?” Continue reading

Pro-tips for virtual networking

Monika Monga (Business Management ’00; Human Resources Management MA) is a HR professional who has worked in both the public and private sector where she gained experience in recruitment.

The stay at home order has made it more challenging than ever to get a job. Savvy online networking will help you stay on top of trends in the industry, the job market, meet prospective mentors and even tip you off to new job opportunities.

Job hunting during a pandemic: The story of a new grad

ALT — Kayla Thomson is a recent graduate of Ryerson’s New Media program. Over the course of her degree, she has concentrated her studies on social media and innovative marketing techniques from design, implementation, and analytics, to marketing management. She has excelled in leadership within volunteering and holding positions with various organizations in social media management and fundraising efforts.

Thursday, June 11th would have been my convocation day.

Living through a pandemic on its own is quite interesting to think about if you consider we are living through a history textbook that our future children, grandchildren, etc. will read. However, GRADUATING into a pandemic during an increasingly difficult step in a young person’s life? Even more terrifying. Furthermore, a virtual graduation ceremony is being hosted while we all still hope for the possibility of a real convocation, like years past got to experience. Life can change in an instant.

3 things no one tells you about Ontario’s long-term care system

A longtime reporter and producer, Karen Cumming, Radio and Television Arts ’84, is now a freelance journalist, health promoter, and teacher on a mission to help families navigate Ontario’s long-term care system with as little stress and frustration as possible.

Guiding our elderly parents into the final stage of their lives: it’s one of the defining issues of our baby boom generation. If you were born between 1946 and 1964, there’s a good chance you’re going through this experience yourself right now, or you know someone who is. The turmoil that the long-term care system is currently in makes it all the more important that you become proactive and prepared.

Your 5 step guide to meal time battles

You’ve been there before: gawking at the neighbour’s child devouring kale power bowls while your child, instead, screams at vegetables, but readily eats an old cheese puff from behind the couch. In desperation, you Google “picky eater nutrition” which reveals 1.4 million hits — not helping. Down the rabbit hole you go, looking at recipes to sneak in vegetables or bake beans into brownies. As a pediatric dietitian who has worked with her fair share of picky eaters, let me reassure you that there are larger things you can focus on as a parent to set your child up for nutritional success. Continue reading

5 things I learned about the psychology of leadership

Amanda Cupido (Journalism ’12, MPS, Psychology of Leadership) is a communications advisor for World Vision International, the Innovator in Residence for podcasting at the Toronto Public Library and a journalism instructor at Seneca College. She is also the author of Let’s Talk Podcasting. Amanda sits on the Ryerson University Alumni Association’s Board of Directors.

I recently graduated with a Master of Professional Studies in the Psychology of Leadership from Pennsylvania State University. I spent five years plugging away at the degree, but I enjoyed every minute of it; I found the course material fascinating. Here are some of my biggest takeaways.

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How to negotiate salary

Jennifer Narayan (Business Management ’10) is a Career Coach, Executive Recruiter and the founder of CareerRealTalk.

Salary negotiation can be a big — and intimidating! — part of the job hunt process. Did you recently receive a job offer, but aren’t sure if the salary is competitive enough? Or are you still interviewing and clam up when asked: “What is your current salary, and what are you looking to make?” Either way, this blog will provide you with the tips you need for successful salary negotiation.

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