Dana Bourgeois-Balch, CCDP's Linkedin Analytics

My professional mission is to transform my student's career path through effective self marketing. I have been a Co-operative Education Advisor at Conestoga since November 2022 and with Conestoga College since 2002! I currently coach educated and experienced Co-op (mostly international) Graduate Certificate students on career development topics. For over twenty years, I have been providing career development services to thousands of people. My expertise has included job search, career exploration, training applications, employer services as well as assessment and referral services. I believe: ✅TO BE COMPETITIVE IN THE LABOUR MARKET, seek out ways to keep growing. Some things I did include pursuing the Career Development Practitioner designation in 2018 which has been an amazing experience. As part of my professional role with the Career Centre at Conestoga, I also volunteered to travel to Sunnydale Community Centre (and to Wilmot Community Centre in Elmira, Ontario) to provide career planning and job search assistance to these neighbourhood associations for over ten years. I loved developing relationships in that community with colleagues and clients. Early in my career, I upgraded my leadership skills by participating in the Leadership Waterloo Region program (LWR) which was a non-profit organization that delivered educational leadership experiences to not for profit organizations in the Waterloo Region. To further develop leadership skills, I worked on the Board of Directors of two organizations supporting them with human resources related support. ✅ IT TAKES REFLECTION AND FOCUS TO FIND OUR CALLING. When I graduated university with a major in Sociology, I struggled to find a career path. I tried working in a non-profit as well as in a corporate role. I was unclear about my career goals and went to see a Career Counsellor. After looking at my skills, interests, needs, personality type and after doing over ten informational interviews, I decided to pursue the Career Development Practitioner Post Graduate Certificate at Conestoga College. Because of this, I am now doing work that I love! A little more about me....I am proud to originally be from Newfoundland I love the landscape, people and culture. I also moved across Canada while growing up and as an adult and I’ve traveled to Central America and Europe several times. Travel is an excellent form of education, and it has provided me with a deeper understanding of the world and my place in it.