PEY Co-op Edge Conference Presenters 2020

The Engineering Career Centre’s fourth annual (virtual) PEY Co-op Edge Conference took place on Saturday September 12th and was a HUGE SUCCESS!

The conference allowed participants to:

• Hear from and talk to returning PEY Co-op students from all disciplines.
• Ask questions about the impact that PEY Co-op could have on your academic and professional careers.
• Receive advice on how to prepare yourself to maximize your own PEY Co-op experience.

We have have recorded the welcome video, presentations and the live panel with Q&A for students who might have missed this. Please click on the videos below to watch.

PEY Co-op Edge Conference Staff Welcome

PEY Co-op Edge Conference Panel & Closing Remarks

Using Networking During Your PEY Co-op

Presenter: Jinansh Shah

Networking is essential to your career – or so you’ve heard. But what does it entail? Why should we network? How should we go about networking? Through some of the workshops at my workplace, and guidance from my managers, I was able to find answers to some of the questions that I had about networking.

In this workshop, I will highlight the importance of networking and introduce some first steps that you can take to start networking effectively. I will cover basic story telling techniques, personal branding, and how to start building an online presence.

Discovering Yourself Through PEY Co-op

Presenter: Nathan Ling

PEY Co-op is one of the best experiences to learn about yourself professionally and personally! Discover how completing a 16-month management consulting internship with The Poirier Group transformed Nathan from being indecisive and unconfident about his future to being a driven individual well equipped to tackle anything that lies ahead. This workshop will provide an overview of the consulting projects Nathan was involved in, challenges he has faced, as well as the skills and lessons he acquired to overcome those challenges. Nathan will also discuss how he discovered his future career path by identifying what he liked doing most during his experience. Finally, Nathan will provide strategies on how he believes students can make the most of their PEY Co-op experience.

How to Survive & Thrive Working from Home

Presenter: Rutwa Engineer

Future PEY Co-op students *might* get a placement that allows them to work from home. During this workshop, Rutwa will discuss her PEY Co-op experience while working for the Government of Canada under the National Programs and Business Development division. She will share insight on some of the challenges and how to find motivation during these times. At the end of the session, she will share useful tips on how to make yourself stand out while working from home.

Taking Initiative in the Workplace

Presenter: Zayne Thawer

In order to have a fulfilling PEY co-op experience, it is crucial to take initiative! During this workshop, Zayne will detail how he lived by this principle during his 12-month co-op in Systems Engineering at Safran Landing Systems. Demonstrating independence and taking initiative led to Zayne being able to make significant contributions as a member of two separate teams spread out across multiple countries and continents. In doing so, he was able to be involved in multiple aspects of the design cycle in the aviation industry, from the developmentary phase of the Aerion Supersonic AS2 Business Jet to the sustaining phase of the Bombardier Global 7500 Jet, as well as gain exposure to the field of Model-based Systems Engineering which was previously unknown to him. Zayne’s experience shows that to get the most of your internship, you need to seize your opportunities!

Understanding Yourself with Your PEY Co-op Experience

Presenter: Serhat Demirgil

Serhat worked as an automation engineer at a global vaccine company. They are planning on selling the covid vaccines around march next year.

Serhat shares his personal journey of overcoming challenges and adversity and how his resiliency, and participating in co-curricular activities such as the robotics club R- S- X has shaped him, from leading his robotics team to winning competitions, and more. In this presentation Serhat will share his journey, and tips & tricks that he has found worked for him when searching, securing and excelling in this PEY Co-op.

International PEY Co-op Experiences

Presenter: Adam Gierlach

Adam Gierlach is an electrical engineering student who completed his PEY Co-op working in the United States at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.  Working and living abroad has been such a rewarding experience, and it all starts by just applying.  In this presentation, Adam will share why he chose to go abroad, his experiences and the things he has learned along the way, and what he wish he had known when he was in your shoes.

Navigating Impostor Syndrome during PEY Co-op

Presenter: Chinmayee Gidwani

Impostor syndrome is a common and natural phenomenon where students and professionals feel inadequate despite a history of successes.  Chinmayee experienced this during her PEY Co-op, and share some insights about how to approach expectations in the workplace and self-confidence in this talk.