We interview Megan Kee, the founder of 20/20 Arts, a non-profit organization dedicated to the production of innovative art projects that raise awareness, visibility, and fund for charitable organizations about Starting a Non-Profit. This week’s episode is part of our Careers in the Arts series, where we talk to young professionals with Fine Arts or Liberal Arts degrees, who have established themselves in an interesting and fulfilling profession. Deciding what to do after university, especially with a degree like a Bachelor of Arts that is often general and does not prepare you for any specific profession, can be daunting. What most students don’t realize though is that your Arts degree has provided you with a variety of transferable skills, such as critical thinking, research, organization, and communication that can be applied to a number of different professions. We hope that through these interviews students will feel less overwhelmed and hopeful about their career options.
HIGHLIGHTS
Path of discovery towards career goals
How does education help with building skills and confidence
Advice for young adults on careers in the Arts
Strategies for work-life balance
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To get more help with academic writing, application coaching, or professional development, book a 20 minute discovery call with us and start your journey to reaching your full potential on the page, and in life.
All the written, visual, audio, and audiovisual content of this post has been created by and is the intellectual property of Lisa Pfau and PFAU Academic Writing. Please do not replicate any of the above content without our consent. However, please do feel free to share this post and its authorship widely.
Last spring, we discussed the challenges of finding a job during a pandemic withcontent marketing specialist, Alif Huq. Unfortunately, we are still in a COVID lockdown, which is discouraging for new graduates. All hope is not lost though. Alif shares some tips with new grads to make the best use of this tricky time.
HIGHLIGHTS
Job market changes during COIVD-19
How to stay motivated when job searching
Social media strategies and what not to do
The art of marketing yourself online
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To get more help with your assignments, book a 20 minute consultation with us and start your journey to reaching your full potential on the page, and in life.
Both the written, visual, audio and audiovisual content of this post has been created by and is the intellectual property of Lisa Pfau and PFAU Academic Writing. Please do not replicate any of the above content without our consent. However, please do feel free to share this post and its authorship widely.
We interview Alexandra Kutilin, a full-time MBA student at Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business, about being a strong woman and speaking up for what you want and need. This week’s episode is for all the strong women out there, who struggle with balancing their tactical professional self and caring compassionate self. I know this is an internal conflict that I deal with regularly as an entrepreneur in a care-giving and creative sector. How can I highlight my expertise, intelligence, and strength without losing the softer side of myself? This struggle is particularly evident in negotiations, where we are required to bargain for something we want, such as a better grade, performance from a group mate, raise from our boss, or new opportunity. Women are typically socialized to step back, give in, and avoid conflict. So, how do you harness your inner shark without losing yourself?
Alex is passionate about career mentorship, professional development, and entrepreneurship for women, topics that she regularly explores on her blog. As an ambitious young career woman, she is also very active on campus. She is currently the President of the Graduate Women’s Council, a Student Ambassador, and a Mentors in Business participant, and has been a competitor in the 2019 BC MBA Games and 2020 National MBA Games.
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Negotiation, or more specifically, conflict is an area that women stereotypically have been socialized to avoid. What strategies do you have for individuals who find negotiations challenging because of a fear of conflict or disapproval?
For this question, three things come to mind. First, recognizing that I have my own thoughts and perspectives, which I can get into in a little bit. Second, being prepared by going into a negotiation having done the research. Third, knowing that you can just chill out and keep your cool in a situation that can get very tense. Building these skills and confidence takes time and practice, and I think are something everyone should invest in.
We are in negotiations all the time, and some of them are comfortable, some of them are not. However, if you prepare yourself for different situations, you can get more comfortable by actually being in them as yourself. This means that you are not overly concerned with sounding silly, which oftentimes is the internal voice that discourages us. I feel like this is a huge barrier for women in particular as we are socialized from a young age to be people pleasers. I think that, as I move on in my career, I am starting to get used to that, and I do not experience it as much as I did when I was younger.
Business is typically viewed as a male pursuit. Where do you think that comes from and what can we do to encourage more young women to consider business?
I think it’s a combination of the sentiment is something “men have always done”, traditional gender roles, and the way that history has portrayed those roles. Even though the Western workplaces slowly started to welcome women into their ranks into the early to mid 20th century, this assumption persists.
Things are slowly changing as we see more female CEOs and business leaders. I also see more young women in my MBA classes. I think it is important to have strong female role models for young women, so that they can see that it’s possible to be a businesswoman.
For undergraduate students out there who are considering an MBA in the future, do you have any advice for them?
Definitely. Looking back now and reflecting on my experience, the things that I know now were not obvious at first. My goal was to figure out what I wanted to do, and I did that by taking initiative, pushing my comfort zone, and trusting myself.
First, take initiative with the goal of learning, instead of the goal of getting something out of the experience, like a job or a raise.
Second, take chances and push your comfort zone. I don’t just mean blindly say: “okay I’m going to take this chance and step off the cliff”. For me, it is about taking chances when the stakes are a little beyond your healthy comfort zone. For me, that was losing a year’s income to enroll in an MBA program.
Finally, trust yourself and your ability to achieve a challenging goal. You have already accomplished the big goals that you set for yourself in the past, so what makes you think that you cannot do that again in your future?
Recommended Books and Resources
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
As Always, Julia: The Letters of Julia Child and Avis DeVoto by Joan Reardon
Thank you, Alex, for sharing the excellent advice with us and our readers!
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Missed the podcast? Listen here:
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For more advice about writing, check out our weekly podcast or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
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To get more help with your assignments, book a 20 minute discovery session with us and start your journey to reaching your full potential on the page, and in life.
Both the written, visual, audio, and audiovisual content of this post has been created by and is the intellectual property of Lisa Pfau and PFAU Academic Writing. Please do not replicate any of the above content without our consent. However, please do feel free to share this post and its authorship widely.
We interview Alexandra Kutilin, a full-time MBA student at Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business, about being a strong woman and speaking up for what you want and need. This week’s episode is for all the strong women out there, who struggle with balancing their tactical professional self and caring compassionate self. I know this is an internal conflict that I deal with regularly as an entrepreneur in a care-giving and creative sector. How can I highlight my expertise, intelligence, and strength without losing the softer side of myself? This struggle is particularly evident in negotiations, where we are required to bargain for something we want, such as a better grade, performance from a group mate, raise from our boss, or new opportunity. Women are typically socialized to step back, give in, and avoid conflict. So, how do you harness your inner shark without losing yourself?
HIGHLIGHTS
Why more women should consider business and pursuing an MBA
How are things different for women in business
Advice for female students struggling to find their inner shark
Negotiation tips and tricks
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To get more help with academic writing, application coaching, or professional development, book a 20 minute discovery call with us and start your journey to reaching your full potential on the page, and in life.
All the written, visual, audio, and audiovisual content of this post has been created by and is the intellectual property of Lisa Pfau and PFAU Academic Writing. Please do not replicate any of the above content without our consent. However, please do feel free to share this post and its authorship widely.
PFAU Academic Writing is taking a short break until May 11th to give Lisa and her staff a chance to recover from a very busy term. We’ll be pausing podcast, blog post, newsletter, and social media posts in the time being, and it might take us a little longer to reply to any emails. We hope that you’re able to also take a few moments to enjoy the Spring weather. We’ll see you again after May 11th for another season of writing and wisdom.
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To get more help with academic writing, application coaching, or professional development, book a 20 minute discovery call with us and start your journey to reaching your full potential on the page, and in life.
All the written, visual, audio, and audiovisual content of this post has been created by and is the intellectual property of Lisa Pfau and PFAU Academic Writing. Please do not replicate any of the above content without our consent. However, please do feel free to share this post and its authorship widely.
This week we will be interviewing Lisa Pfau, the founder and CEO of Pfau Academic Writing, about the stress caused by assignments and exams. We thought this topic would be helpful to our listeners who are about to enter the final exam season. Exam anxiety is a real and serious problem that can hinder students’ academic performance. As you may know, Lisa has over 20 years of experience supporting students through academic challenges. I first met Lisa three years ago as a first-year international student at the University of Toronto. Lisa has helped me with the transition from high school to university, giving me lots of great tips about how to deal with the pressures of university.
HIGHLIGHTS
Symptoms of exam anxiety
Causes of stress
Impact of Exam Anxiety on Academic Performance
Practices and strategies to relieve stress
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To get more help with academic writing, application coaching, or professional development, book a 20 minute discovery call with us and start your journey to reaching your full potential on the page, and in life.
All the written, visual, audio, and audiovisual content of this post has been created by and is the intellectual property of Lisa Pfau and PFAU Academic Writing. Please do not replicate any of the above content without our consent. However, please do feel free to share this post and its authorship widely.
We interviewed Reggie Waterman, the director and founder of his own branding agency, XPRESSIVE, about the student experience as a Black man. Although laws have been changed and attitudes adjusted, structural racism is real in Canada and it exists in our educational institutions too. Black, Indigenous, South Asian, and other minority students often experience racism and ethnocentrism on and off campus.
In 2019, Reggie uncovered a gap in the post-grad job search experience and he has made it his mission to close the gap by providing students with a winning formula to ensure career success. He is particularly interested in how students who identify as visible minorities can use this to their advantage when creating their personal career branding. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Reggie also decided to facilitate a Zoom series called Discover Your ‘Other” Self to provide inspiration and help people overcome life’s challenges, especially during these abnormal times. More importantly, he’s achieved all of this while facing racial barriers as a Black student and businessman.
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What kinds of barriers to Black students face compared to non-racialized students?
I think the biggest barrier is the access to resources. For example, when I went to university, I did not see a lot of Black people, and part of the reason for that is we just do not have the same access to resources. A lot of the Black people that are my age are first generation Canadians whose parents immigrated from the Caribbean or Africa. As a result, they do not have access to the financial and social resources necessary to obtain higher education themselves, and build social networks to help their children to access gainful employment. Often the education they gained in their home country is not recognized in Canada, so they are forced to work jobs that do not require higher education in order to support their families. Since they are working hard to help their children to improve their socioeconomic status, which makes children of these immigrants, like me, trailblazers in education and work in Canada.
On the other hand, the majority of White Canadians have their networks already established since their families have been here for generations. This establishment creates a situation where social networks are dominated by White Canadians, who may have different social norms and expectations than Black Canadians, making it hard to break into the group and be accepted. Social networks are essential for access to education and employment. Without these social networks, it can be hard to get referrals and endorsement to help young Black to propel their careers forward.
What can we do to break down some of these barriers?
I think that institutions, such as schools and well-established corporations, need to really take a stand if they truly believe in having a diverse workforce. The way to do that is by putting audits in place and promoting more visible minorities to positions of power. What I mean by audits is, for example, the HR team, on a semi annually or annual basis, should look at the landscape of the organization and actively adjust it to make sure that it represents the multicultural reality of Canadian society. They also need to hold their teams accountable for diversity practices. For example, what are they doing to promote inclusion? When they are hiring new people, should there be a specific allocations for visible minority hires? Do their teams truly reflect diversity? It’s one thing to say that you support diversity, and another thing to do it in practice.
How can self-identifying as a minority help with your personal brand?
Personal branding is about uncovering one’s superpower and leverage it in a manner that you could add value to yourself and others. Focus on how you serve others, give not take. There currently are not a lot of visible minorities in positions of authority and leaderships in Canada and the US. Certainly, things have improved over the years, but more can be done. If you identify as a visible minority, this can be turned into a strength as your experiences and perspectives are valuable to companies as they attempt to diversity and reach a wider global audience. Turn what appears on the surface as a barrier into a strength. It’s really about mindset and finding tools to promote your own unique message. That is where Xpressive comes in, as an agency that I launched, it focuses on helping individuals to build their brand to help them demonstrate and showcase thought leadership and value.
What tools are most valuable for students and young adults who are trying to promote their personal brand?
LinkedIn is definitely a tool to build your personal brand and promote your unique professional expertise. For example, if you are interested in getting into the marketing industry, do a simple post on how to do a marketing plan, like “The five top things you need to have in your marketing plan”. Thought leadership is about your thoughts. You want to demonstrate the knowledge that you have and provide value to your connections and followers.
Recommended Books and Resources
Think and Grow Rich: The Landmark Bestseller Now Revised and Updated for the 21st Century (Think and Grow Rich Series) by Napoleon Hill Arthur R. Pell
The Lemonade Life: How to Fuel Success, Create Happiness, and Conquer Anything by Zack Friedman
Thank you, Reggie, for sharing the excellent advice with us and our readers!
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Missed the podcast? Listen here:
_
_
For more advice about writing, check out our weekly podcast or subscribe to our monthly newsletter.
_
To get more help with your assignments, book a 20 minute discovery session with us and start your journey to reaching your full potential on the page, and in life.
Both the written, visual, audio, and audiovisual content of this post has been created by and is the intellectual property of Lisa Pfau and PFAU Academic Writing. Please do not replicate any of the above content without our consent. However, please do feel free to share this post and its authorship widely.
For this week’s episode, we interview Reggie Waterman, who is the director and founder of his own branding agency, XPRESSIVE, about the student experience as a young Black man. Although laws have been changed and attitudes adjusted, structural racism is real in Canada and it exists in our educational institutions too. Black, Indigenous, South Asian, and other minority students often experience racism and ethnocentrism on and off-campus.
HIGHLIGHTS
The importance of Black Leadership in schools
Barriers faced by Black students
How you can leverage your minority status to create a killer personal brand
What can you do to fight racial discrimination on your campus
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To get more help with academic writing, application coaching, or professional development, book a 20 minute discovery call with us and start your journey to reaching your full potential on the page, and in life.
All the written, visual, audio, and audiovisual content of this post has been created by and is the intellectual property of Lisa Pfau and PFAU Academic Writing. Please do not replicate any of the above content without our consent. However, please do feel free to share this post and its authorship widely.
Thank you for joining us for the Breath In, Write Out podcast this week. Since many students are currently working on their papers or preparing for their exams, we thought this was the perfect time to re-run our interview with Daina Sparling on the Art of Proofreading. We hope that this podcast helps you to learn the value of proofreading and strategies to complete a quality paper!
We interview Daina Sparling, an editor and proofreader at PFAU Academic Writing, about something students often take for granted – editing! Good writers know that the first draft is never going to be their best work. They need to put aside time to revise, edit, and proofread their work. The best writers have colleagues or professionals to provide them with insights on their work and to fix any issues. Like all art, writing takes multiple drafts to reach a level of greatness.
HIGHLIGHTS
The Value of Editing
Skills and Knowledge of a Good Editor
The Essay-Editing Process
Common mistakes made in essays and how to avoid them
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To get more help with academic writing, application coaching, or professional development, book a 20 minute discovery call with us and start your journey to reaching your full potential on the page, and in life.
All the written, visual, audio, and audiovisual content of this post has been created by and is the intellectual property of Lisa Pfau and PFAU Academic Writing. Please do not replicate any of the above content without our consent. However, please do feel free to share this post and its authorship widely.
Thank you for joining us for the Breath In, Write Out podcast this week. Since many students are currently experiencing a stressful period of the semester because of the due dates and finals coming up, we thought this was the perfect time to re-run our interview with Holly Smith on Customizing Mental Health Support for Students. We hope that this podcast helps you to understand that it is normal to feel stressed out sometimes and provide you with strategies to take care of your mental health while studying.
We interview Holly Smith, an experienced clinical occupational therapist in the field of mental health and substance use, who currently works as a clinical manager at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) about some of the mental health challenges that students encounter, and strategies to create a healthier study environment.
HIGHLIGHTS
Common mental health struggles faced by students
Tips for students struggling with a mental health on campus
Healing through creative expression
Alternative resources for mental health off-campus
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To get more help with academic writing, application coaching, or professional development, book a 20 minute discovery call with us and start your journey to reaching your full potential on the page, and in life.
All the written, visual, audio, and audiovisual content of this post has been created by and is the intellectual property of Lisa Pfau and PFAU Academic Writing. Please do not replicate any of the above content without our consent. However, please do feel free to share this post and its authorship widely.
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