The second annual CIC Careers in Chemistry and Engineering Conference and Mixer was held March 10, 2018 at McMaster University. This event was a collaboration between students from McMaster’s Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, and the Hamilton CIC Local Section. The McMaster ChemEng Club and the McMaster Undergraduate Society for the Chemical Sciences are two of the Student Chapters under the Hamilton Section, and through the efforts of both of these student clubs we were able to put together an informative and enjoyable day!
This year, we had chemistry, chemical engineering and chemical technology students attend from a diversity of schools ranging from McMaster University, Mohawk College, York University and Guelph University. The interest and participation of students from various programs and institutions added diversity in experiences, and was a great way to connect CIC Student Chapters from across Ontario.
The daytime events featured workshops and keynote speakers from McMaster University, Ontario Centres of Excellence, Canada General-Tower, and Apotex. This was followed by a panel discussion with these previous speakers, along with CIC’s Career Development Leader. The day’s talks were very informative and interactive, allowing students to receive information and advice from industry and academia professionals who have found success in their different fields. Hearing from this diverse group of speakers was a great opportunity for students to learn about alternate career paths both inside and outside of the lab that are available post-graduation. It was also a great platform to talk about things like interviewing tips, what to expect at your first job, and how to progress in a career after getting hired.
Students ask about career paths to panelists Allan Rey (Apotex), Brendan McDonald (Canadian General-Tower), Padraic Folley (Ontario Centres of Excellence), and Laura Reyes (Chemical Institute of Canada).
The mixer that followed at The Phoenix on campus offered students a chance to network with their peers, the speakers, and local CIC members. There was a lot of mingling between students and professionals, and we capped off the day with some fun chemistry-themed trivia.
This event offered students the opportunity to interact and learn more about the CIC, the networking and career opportunities offered to students, and the complimentary CSC, CSChE, and CSCT student memberships that are available to them. The organizers were happy to see that the students that attended found the workshops and networking both enjoyable and valuable. We are looking forward to planning upcoming events in collaboration with the CIC, and hope to continue this annual conference. We’re excited to see this event mature in the future, and look forward to seeing the opportunities that these events can offer to both students and CIC members!