I am often asked by urban planning students for career advice. Here are my top recommendations: 1. Become a lifelong learner Building career resilience facilitates work security and requires a commitment to lifelong learning. Be open to learning new skills, new experiences, and to fostering rich and purposeful relationships. 2. Figure out what matters
About one year ago, a couple of colleagues from across the country reached out to me. We agreed to meet the next month for an hour-and-a-half, and then the month after that, and voilà! Our Community of Practice is born. Etienne C. Wenger with colleagues Beverley Wenger-Traynor and William M. Snyder have referred to
When it comes to wrestling with uncertainty, planners are pros. Just this past week, with the advent of the Omicron variant, and my current home, Kingston, Ontario reaching the highest case rate of COVID-19 in the country, due to Omicron spread, I was reminded about the importance of being nimble to navigate the everchanging landscape.
Over the past year, I have been invited to facilitate some truly difficult conversations. These conversations, whether inspired or called on by an organization’s members and staff, by residents, or by educators, have been a first step towards desired systems changes. Along the way, I was engaged to design training on how to integrate equity
In May 2021, I was inducted into the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) College of Fellows. Being named a Fellow of the CIP is the highest award that the Institute can give to a planner. I am grateful to my nominator and to all those who submitted letters of endorsement. I was asked by
News of the impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on my family in India and the USA and on my friends across Canada are part of my weekly newsfeed. Too often, the news is heartbreaking, and we seek out moments of joy. However, there are times when the extended provincial lockdown in Ontario and the
Over the past few weeks, several colleagues and I have been reflecting upon our experiences of workplace microaggressions [1] and of discrimination in public engagement processes. Sometimes we get stuck in the undertow of the ongoing and recent waves of anti-Asian violence and racism in our communities, only to be pulled out by our own
Career Networking Online: Tips for Planning Students and Job Seekers Networking and preparing for informational interviews are two of the most important job-search techniques to develop. Here are some tips for career networking online; this is especially for students navigating the job hustle and career flow. You can also download a summary of the eight
The belief that “practice makes perfect” is only partially true. Practice [1], and the repetition that is a part of it, over time, may translate into exactness and precision in the repetition. It may even lead to one achieving such a high degree of mastery that it can invite improvisation and the ability to think
As a planner my role involves assisting people to manage uncertainty, by understanding it better, and by inspiring and advising how to act. My recent Compassion Fatigue Educator Training from the TEND Academy (https://tendacademy.ca) has given me additional skills to add to my experiences in trauma-informed approaches to planning. This training has increased my understanding
