OHEIB 8th Annual Student Meet & Greet

OHEIB Student members Sara Santianni and Shirley Vien offered to write up the event from their perspectives:

Even the 15 centimeters of snow that fell that night could not keep the curious Nutrition and Food students at Ryerson University from discovering if there really is a career without internship. On Wednesday, January 28th, we trudged through the profuse amounts of white stuff to gather in a Ryerson lecture hall. We were greeted with warm smiles and friendly hellos from the evening’s coordinators Barb Holland and Heather Lush, as we sat down and awaited the exciting line-up of speakers. Their stories and experiences would soon warm our hearts and melt the snow out of our minds, at least for an hour or two, and we would finally have an answer to those daunting questions that many of us are faced with time and again — “You’re thinking of not applying for an internship? Well what will you do after you graduate?”

First to inspire us was Freelance Home Economist Helen Hatton who led us through her self-proclaimed “chequered past” with plenty of animation and comic relief. Among her words of wisdom, she cautioned us that as we travel along our career paths, we may not fit in with all of the corporate cultures we encounter, but every experience can be made into a meaningful one. Helen left us with a simple yet valuable “to do” list that will make a difference to our careers; do get yourself some business cards; do follow up; do sign up for newsletters; do write letters; and finally, do send “snail mail”!

Clare Jones took the stage next to speak to us about her 20 year journey in the food industry after graduating from Ryerson University in Foods and Nutrition. After working in a full-time corporate position for a number of years, Clare left on maternity leave, and returned to discover that the position she left no longer fit with what she was looking for. She then made the decision to become an independent Food Consultant, a choice she is very happy she made. She noted that the primary challenge of going on your own is sourcing your own contracts to guarantee income, and may become increasingly difficult in today’s economy. Among the benefits of consulting, she listed being more available for her children, getting things done during off-hours when everyone else is at work, and building on a variety of skills, experiences and contacts. Her experiences sounded quite extraordinary as she listed positions in public relations as a media spokesperson, food styling, recipe development, and marketing.

Sarah Herd, fourth year Ryerson Nutrition and Food student gave her fellow peers an interesting perspective on a-day-in-the-life of working in the lab of Dr. El-Sohemy at the University of Toronto. Sara became curious about the science of Nutrigenomics after attending a talk given by Dr. El-Sohemy and was determined to explore this field further. After expressing her interest, she was given the opportunity to perform extensive work in the innovative areas of Nutrigenomics and Biomarkers of Chronic Disease. Sarah, although new to the industry herself, inspired us to pursue what excites us and taught us that perhaps following a path less traveled will get us to where we want to go.

Our final speaker of the evening was Kathleen Mackintosh, Ryerson Nutrition and Food graduate, Home Economist, Entrepreneur and proud new owner of the Culinarium. Although Kathleen has built a portfolio that includes working at Kraft Canada, and opening of her own food consulting company, Savour the Flavour Inc., her topic for the evening was a not-so-sugar-coated day-in-the-life of a retail store owner and entrepreneur. After a year in the making, the building of Culinarium has left Kathleen exhausted. Nonetheless, she spoke of many joys along her travels. What she enjoys most are her relationships with her stakeholders as she continually travels to farms across the country to meet the passionate growers and their families that make her proud to sell their products. Being your own boss is not so bad either, she says, although it can get a little lonely at times. Despite the sometimes overwhelming financial and time obligations of a new business start-up, Kathleen is looking forward to a bright and very organic future! After all, the first year is supposed to be the hardest, right? Kathleen’s words of wisdom - if you say you are going to follow-up, follow-up! Don’t just e-mail a contact once and never again. If you say you would like to meet for a chat, go ahead and do it - they are here to help!

The evening was brought to a close with an overwhelming sense of support as all the professional members were invited to the stage to answer questions and give their advice on what to expect for the future. With the unpredictable state of the economy, we were encouraged to use our resources, stay connected with peers, and explore new talents. We were left with an awesome sensation of comradery, friendship and piece of mind knowing that we have access to such an extraordinary support network of professional home economists that are happy and willing to help, and not to mention loads of fun! A big thank you to all the speakers and professionals that were there that evening!

Shirley Vien added the following tips & websites:
  • Learn to market yourself and get employers or people interested in what you have to offer
  • Networking is important because many opportunities spread by word of mouth. So get your name out there and someone might refer you to the right people.
  • Learn to write memos, letters of complaint/compliments to practice different styles of writing
  • Learn to speak and practice speech making techniques
  • Never be afraid to ask questions
  • Don’t be afraid to ask for help
  • Take advantage of volunteering opportunities
  • If you’re interested in a field, volunteer to gain some experience in that area to get a taste of it.

Websites:

Thanks also to Heather Lush from the School of Nutrition for hosting and publicizing the event. Of the 35 students attending, a few mushed in from Guelph.