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Monday, September 10, 2012

Nabs west speed mentoring meetup spet 27

speedmentoring
#speednetworking
NABS is bringing together the finest senior-level advertising executives, creative professionals, planners and media buyers in the city and YOU get six minutes to ask them whatever you want!
Welcome to NABS Speed Mentoring.
This event will provide guidance, insight, inspiration and fun for all, no matter what part of advertising you work in… or want to work in. Maybe you’re thinking about changing careers, or trying out a new field. Now’s the time to ask the questions you can’t ask your coworkers. This event will connect you with top industry professionals so you get get the edge you need as the future leaders of the industry.

So who are these mentors?
We’ve got a long list of amazing professionals who have a ton of experience and knowledge to share. Keep checking back as we’re still finalizing the list. There are going to be 20 mentors in total! Here are the ones we’re stoked to have on-board so far:
Alvin Wasserman: Writer, President, Wasserman & Partners Advertising LinkedIn
Andrea Baxter: Smart Cookie & Director of Marketing, Intracorp. LinkedIn
Carson Ting: Senior Art Director, Blast Radius LinkedIn
Cheryl Carter: Vice President & Publisher, BIV Media Group LinkedIn
Dean Butler: Account Director, Elevator – Strategy, Advertising and Design LinkedIn
Duke McKenzie: SVP Sales, Mediative LinkedIn
Jerrid Grimm: VP, Client Services, NEWAD LinkedIn
Jim Gordon: Senior VP, Vizeum LinkedIn
Josee Thibault: Manager, Digital Solutions, Media Experts LinkedIn
Kevin Curtis: Sales Manager, Western Canada, Tribal Fusion LinkedIn
Kyle Donaldson: News Anchor/Producer, CityTV Vancouver’s Breakfast Television LinkedIn
Lynne Forbes: General Sales Manager, CTV Vancouver LinkedIn
Mark Busse: Creative Community Activist and co-founder of Industrial Brand Creative LinkedIn
Michel McDermott: Breakfast Television Traffic Host, Rogers Communications LinkedIn
Rick Hart: SVP, Associate General Manager, Director of Client Strategy, MacLaren McCann LinkedIn
Rick Sanderson: General Manager, OMD LinkedIn
Trent Carroll: Executive VP of Sales & Marketing, Canucks LinkedIn


WOW! I would love to meet with those guys! How does this all go down?
5:30 PM – 6:30 PM Doors open, arrival and mentee-mentor mingle
6:30 PM – 6:45 PM Opening remarks
6:45 PM – 6:50 PM Seating begins
6:50 PM – 8:00 PM Sessions (6 minutes each)
8:00 PM – 8:30 PM Closing remarks and cocktails

Sounds cool! I want to go, but I don’t know what kind of questions I would ask.
You have only six minutes with these mentors, so being prepared is very important. We’ve compiled some ideas and thought-starters to help you organize the questions you’ll be asking. Here are some ideas of things you can ask;
Questions about your mentor’s career path/training:
What kind of education/training do you have?
How did your time at school prepare you for your career? Were your studies at all related to your career?
How did you manage the transition from school to work?
How did you get your first job post-graduation?
What has your career path been like to date? Is it representative of most people in this kind of position?
How important is a graduate degree, designation, or additional certificate in this field?
Are you a member of any professional orders or associations? Which ones do you feel are the most important to belong to?
What are the future prospects like in this field? What trends do you see developing over the next few years?
If you could change any aspects of your career, what would you change?

Questions about their current position and responsibilities:
How did you obtain your current position?
What are your primary job responsibilities?
What does a typical day/week in your job look like?
What do you enjoy the most about your job? The least?
What are the most challenging aspects of your job?
What kind of professional development opportunities are available in this field?
Are there many opportunities for advancement in this position?
Who are the people who usually excel in this field/position? What personal qualities do you need to succeed?

Questions about working conditions:
How many hours do you work in an average week?
How much autonomy do you have in terms of what you focus on at work?
What kind of supervision did you have when you were starting out? Currently?
How is your performance evaluated?
How much flexibility do you have in terms of dress, hours, vacation or job location?

Questions relating to your current situation and future goals:
What advice would you like to have heard when you were starting out?
Would you recommend I “try out” this line of work with an internship or volunteer role?
Do you have any recommendations with regards to useful courses to take or extracurricular activities to be involved with?
Are there any other fields or jobs you would suggest I research/explore?
How do people find out about job openings in this field? Are they advertised? If so, where?
How is a typical job interview in this industry conducted?

Sweet! Anything I should avoid asking?
Again, preparation is key. You should know who you’re going to be meeting with. That’s why we included LinkedIn profiles above. You don’t want your first question to be “Who are you and where do you work”. Also, asking if a drug test is required to join the company, or if you can drink all day and pinch ladies bums like they do on Mad Men may be frowned upon.

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