On Tuesday March 12th, 2013 the ULI Young Leader’s Group hosted a Student Career Event. The ULI Young Leader’s Group formed the Student Committee to connect with surrounding University business and planning programs, and to build a lasting relationship with students as they enter their professional careers. Over 100 students, recent graduates, and young professionals attended the event hosted at the Ivey ING Leadership Centre and heard from a panel of development professionals.

The five panel members represented a range of career opportunities in the development industry and gave lasting advice. Jillian Crangle of Primaris encouraged students and fresh graduates to expose themselves to as many aspects of development as possible. Farrah D’Souza of Oxford Properties Group reinforced that having a strong understanding of finance and management is critical to success in any industry. Coining the saying that “it’s not what you earn, it’s what you can learn”, Mitchell Gillin of TD Commercial Banking encouraged students to gain experience as quickly as possible. Benjamin Hoff of Urban Strategies encouraged fresh graduates with little experience to talk to as many individuals as possible, commenting that “entry level jobs aren’t posted online”. Lastly Michael Sutherland, of Metrolinx, encouraged students to be confident and step outside the box remarking “that’s often where you’ll learn the most.”

Despite representing such a range of professional backgrounds, all speakers had one common piece of advice that was reinforced through all five presentations; network, network, network. For this, we have the ULI and the ULI Young Leader’s Group to thank. The Student Career was a roaring success and gave many students the opportunity to network and hear candid and welcomed career advice.

Thank you to the event sponsors, Avison Young, CBRE, Cushman & Wakefield, Colliers International, and Jones Lang LaSalle, and event organizers, Alexandra Rybak, and Erin Carroll of the ULI, and Jennifer Drake and Patricia Ing, ULI Young Leader’s Group Student Committee Co-chairs.

Lauren English
MSc Planning ’13 Candidate
University of Toronto

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