Are you an upper-year international student looking for an exclusive opportunity to develop professional and personal skills and get ALL the information about career planning and immigration in ONE day?
Look no further!
On Saturday, February 3, 2024, in MN, the International Education Centre is inviting you to partake in THRIVE-OUT: Professional Development Conference for International Students! This program is tailored for upper-year and graduating international students to provide you with all the essential skills and information you require to plan your next steps
In just ONE day:
- Receive all the important information about your next steps in terms of immigration and career planning and getting your PR
- Participate in workshops that will equip you with professional skills that can be added to your resumes
- Meet recent alumni and learn about their career journeys
- Network with staff, alumni, and peers
- Get CCR
As a result of participating in THRIVE-OUT, students will:
- Learn about the immigration essentials of staying in Canada after graduation and eventually getting their PR
- Learn more about essential resources available for them to prepare for future careers and achieve their goals
THRIVE-OUT 2024 Schedule
| Time | Description | |
|---|---|---|
| Part I: Key Information | ||
| 9:00 am — 9:30 am | Registration & Breakfast Location: MN Grand Hall (Lobby) | |
| 9:30 am — 9:40 am | Opening Remarks Location: MN 1270 | |
| 9:40 am — 10:30 am | International Student Journey: From Study Permit to Permanent Resident including Q&A Facilitated by the IEC’s International Students Immigration Advisor, Mindy will talk you through the process of obtaining your Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP)and the necessary criteria to eventually apply for your Permanent Residency permit (PR). Location: MN1270 | |
| 10:30 am —10:40 am | Coffee Break | |
| Part II: Transitioning Out of Undergraduate | ||
| 10:40 – 11:30 am | Adulting 101: Leaving or Living in Canada Facilitated by the IEC’s International Student Transition Coach, Sherice will walk you through the logistics of deciding to either stay or leave Canada after graduation. This session will cover navigating the housing crisis, health insurance and other essential information. | |
| 11:30 am – 12:15 pm | Adulting 101: Money Matters… Your Financial Future Facilitated by a finance professional who works with UofT from TD bank, they will walk you through everything related to your finances. This includes investing as an international student, your RRSP, your RESP, budgeting, pension, and more! | |
| 12:15 pm - 1:00 pm | Connect and Reflect Facilitated by the IEC's Supervisor, Intercultural Fluency and International Student Development, Rebeca will guide you through a reflection and celebration of your journey at UTM. Location: MN 1270 | |
| 1:00 pm – 1:45 pm | Lunch and LinkedIn pictures Free and catered lunch and refreshments. Location: MN Grand Hall | |
| Part III: Career Development and Networking | ||
| 1:45 pm – 2:45 pm | Career Know-Hows for International Students Facilitated by the IEC’s Employment Strategist, Lucy will walk you through all the necessary components of finding the perfect job. This includes enhancing your network skills, job negotiation, navigating the Canadian job market, and more! For those thinking of leaving Canada, Lucy will also go over the importance of developing a global network and having Canadian work experience. Location: MN1270 | |
| 2:45 pm – 3:45 pm | Breaking Barriers Panel with Employers A panel of employers will be moderated by the IEC’s employment strategist, Lucy. This panel will answer your most pressing questions about the traits and skills they look for in potential hires. They will also discuss the advantages of hiring international students and the challenges they have seen their international employees and colleagues face and more! | |
| 3:45 pm - 4:45 pm | Alumni Career Speed-Networking Facilitated by the IEC’s Student Development Coordinator, Zarina, you will get the chance to meet invited alumni and employers from different industries to share lessons they learned along the way as well as answer your burning questions in a round of speed-networking. Location: MN Grand Hall | |
Meet Our 2024 Alumni Guests:
 | Adwet Sharma Adwet (He/Him) currently works as a Senior Program Manager of Government Affairs at Edelman Global Advisory, a leading international public affairs firm which helps clients navigate evolving geopolitics, build trust, and achieve business success. Find out more about Adwet at www.linkedin.com/in/adwet-sharma/ |
 | Anil Wasif [UTM Class of 2017 | HBA in Economics, Master of Public Policy] Anil (He/Him) currently works as a Manager of Research at Infrastructure Ontario and is the Co-Founder and Director of Strategy at BacharLorai, a social impact agency empowering Bangladeshis worldwide, through community building, policy research and signature initiatives. Find out more about Anil at www.linkedin.com/in/anilwasif |
 | Thaisa T. Sant'Ana [UTM Class of 2023 valedictorian | HBSc Biotechnology Specialist] Thaisa (She/Her) is currently working as a Research Analyst at KITE-Toronto Rehabilitation Institute. At KITE, Thaisa created educational infographics on sex and gender topics in traumatic brain injury and worked on a research project on community integration after traumatic brain injuries. Find out more about Thaisa at www.linkedin.com/in/thaisa-tylinski-santana/ |
 | Tasya Nathanael [UTM Class of 2023 valedictorian | HBSc Biotechnology Specialist ] Tasya (They/Them) currently works as the Student Services Hub Welcome Desk Coordinator at UTM. Previously, they has worked as the Programs Assistant for Academic Initiatives at the Centre for Community Partnerships at UofT St. George. Find out more about Tasya at www.linkedin.com/in/tasya-n-31128122b/ |
 | Joshua Dingani Mvunga [UTM Class of 2022 | HBSc in Neuroscience] Joshua (He/They) currently works as a Community, Health and Education Associate for the Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth and Family Mental Health and the Tay Cohort Study. Prior to their current role, they were a research analyst at CAMH for a pan-Canadian implementation study aimed at providing youth with education and employment support. |
 | Ahad Syed [UTM Class of 2019 | Bachelors of Commerce, Accounting Specialist] Ahad (He/Him) is a Zimbabwean UTM alum who currently works at the Office of the Dean at UTM as the Program & Curriculum Assistant. He has previously worked as a Pathways Associate at PWC Canada and as a Curriculum Support Officer at UTM. Find out more about Ahad at www.linkedin.com/in/ahadsyed7 |
 | Jesica Kuruvilla [UTM Class of 2021 | BBA in Management Specialist] Jesica (She/Her) is currently working as the Program Coordinator for the Department of Management at UTM after completing her Bachelor’s of Business Administration. She has worked in Academic HR and has supported student groups and faculty in her roles. Find out more about Jesica at www.linkedin.com/in/jesicakuruvilla/ |