BUET Alumni Canada organises first-ever ‘professional day’ in Toronto

Over 1,000-strong BUET Alumni Association Canada has organised the first-ever 'professional day' in Toronto to help former students do well in the new job environment through mentoring and networking.

"Building relationship with industry and professional community is important to advance one’s career," Marisa Sterling, Vice-President of Professional Engineers Ontario or PEO, told the alumni as the guest of honour at the BUET Professional Day 2018  in Toronto on Sunday.

Also Assistant Dean of the Lassonde School of Engineering at York University, Sterling said, "A combination of these types of people is very helpful to advance one’s career. They help you to look for the pathways and also help on a personal level."

She also shared her personal story on her first job with a multinational manufacturing company to emphasise researching one’s own interests and building the relationship with industry and professional community.

Twelve distinguished professionals shared their experiences at the programme while there were five mentoring sessions with over 100 professionals and new members in attendance.

Manish Paul, director, cultural affairs of the association told bdnews24.com "there are over 1,000 BUET graduates who live in Canada and 50 percent of them are based in Ontario".

"New members are joining in every year and this type of professional day and mentoring sessions would help them cope with the new professional environment," he added.

This was the first-ever 'Professional Day Conference' hosted by BUET Alumni Association Canada in Toronto, he added.

The newly-elected vice-president of PEO, Sterling also said: "One should have three people at any point in one’s career – mentor, champion and sponsor."

"As a Vice President of PEO, I will invite you to reach out to me in any way that I can be of help to you."

She advised the association to partner with local area chapters of PEO for the similar events so that one can learn from the other.

As a President of Ontario Professional Engineers Foundation for Education, which is a charity arm of PEO, she advised the BUET Alumni Association to "introduce the charity to the students and help create awareness of the scholarships provided to the needy students".

Paul said they would be organising similar programmes on a regular basis from now on.