Have some time to spare this coming weekend? Or later tonight?
That’s great, because I have a pretty great activity to recommend: catching Career X 2020! Belatedly, that is.
Career X is a live event held by James Cook University to encourage career exploration among youths in junior colleges, polytechnics and other institutes of higher learning. You can find the webinars from Career X 2020 on James Cook University’s Open House website, under the Career Talks section.
I enjoyed ‘attending’ the event, and here’s why you should attend the event too.
Before we begin…here’s a tip
Launch your favourite notetaking software before you begin attending Career X 2020, or get your go-to notebook and pen ready! You’ll need either to jot down the many career insights you’ll hear. Trust me when I say that the speakers pack a lot into an hour.
James Cook University representatives thoughtfully contacted attendees of Career X 2020 whose questions couldn’t be answered in real-time, too. Jot down the ones you find well-crafted or relatable; you may want to ask them during next month’s Career X.
Yes, you read right! 2021’s Career X is just around the corner. More details on this soon.
1) The webinars had a good event moderator
Career X 2020 reminded me about how a good event facilitator is makes a lot of difference. Kenneth (a senior marketing executive with the university) made sure that the webinars did not overrun, guided the speakers to answer popular questions from the audience and even asked some questions of his own!
Will Kenneth make a reappearance for 2021’s edition? Let’s wait and see!
2) There is a lot of sharing going on
I’ve mentioned this earlier on, but these webinars truly are jam-packed with information.
For example, in the Data Scientist webinar, Data Science Lead Gibson Gay shares everything from the possible career trajectory of a data science professional to the differences between a data scientist, engineer, and analyst. He even included a flowchart and model to share about his career trajectory and typical working day with attendees: that’s 10/10 effort if you ask me.
In the Environmental Consultant webinar, you’ll learn about the types of projects this role does, the relevant degrees and skills needed to join the Environmental sector, and receive encouragement to embrace possibilities and create your own opportunities anytime you can.
In the Clinical Psychology webinar, you’ll listen to the experiences of not just one, but two JCU faculty with many years of active practice. They were asked many interesting questions and these include:
- What happens when psychologists have beliefs that conflict with their clients’?
- How do you deal with psychopaths?
- How do you manage your own mental wellness while working in this profession?
I’ll leave you to discover the answers, and what the other two webinars cover for yourselves!
3) Plenty of actionable advice and information
If the speakers are in fields you’re open to pursuing, that’s even more reason to check their sharing sessions out. In the psychology webinar, speakers Spencer Carr and Dr. Joanna Barlas share books they’d recommend for those wanting to read something psychology-related. In the digital marketing webinar, speaker Shermay Seow mentions the Google Skillshop training centre and Facebook Blueprint credentialling programme.
You definitely can’t go wrong following the advice, or in the steps, of current industry practitioners and professionals. Their experiences are also pretty interesting, however, so I’m convinced that you might come for the advice but stay for their anecdotes!
Career X 2021
Did you learn a lot from Career X 2020 like I did? If your answer is a solid yes, you don’t want to miss catching the next edition live.
Like its predecessor, Career X 2021 has speakers hailing from various industries and companies. It’ll be taking place from 6 to 11 September, so mark your calendar because that’s real soon!
This year, Career X will focus on up-and-coming industries like Cybersecurity, Data Science and the Internet of Things. The six speakers hail from organisations such as GoJek, EY, and Metta School; their roles range from Data Lead to Associate Psychologist. The full line-up is as follows:
6 Sept (7-8pm)
- Sherin Sarah Varghese (Cybersecurity Consultant, EY)
7 Sept (7-8pm)
- Jason Soh (IoT Technical Solution Architect, Cisco Systems (USA) Pte Ltd)
8 Sept (7-8pm)
- Germayne Ng (Data Lead, Gojek)
9 Sept (7-8pm)
- Lim Meng Huat (R&D Director/COO, Apollo Group)
10 Sept (7-8pm)
- Lim Hui Tien (Associate Psychologist, Metta School)
11 Sept (10-11am)
- Boon Pei Ya (Asia Sustainability Manager, Arcadis)
11 Sept (11-12pm)
- Building Your Personal Brand with Leah and Zhin
If you’re an avid fan of TheSmartLocal, here’s another reason not to miss this career exploration event: registering for this year’s Career X also unlocks an exclusive sharing session with Leah and Zhin.
This webinar won’t be uploaded online, so sign up now to learn tips from these well-known influencers on the art of personal branding that will help you in your job search and future careers.
You can sign up via the events page of James Cook University in Singapore. Registration closes 6th September and I hope to see you there!