“Look beyond your immediate surroundings and leverage your strengths to get opportunities you otherwise would not. I was comfortable moving around and made strategic moves to other provinces and even countries to position my experience in a way that opened up opportunities I would not have had otherwise. Never get too comfortable, especially in today’s economy, and always have a plan for your next step. At least have a vision of where you want to end up in terms of position, industries, etc.

Try to (and I know it is hard when you start out) think of areas and types of work that makes you the most “happy” as you don’t want to spend years building a career in a field you don’t find rewarding. When you do find the job or field you want to work in try everything to get a foot in the door, even it it takes volunteering or interning for a while.“