Edmonton’s got undiscovered talent! And so do you.

As we often see in shows such as Canada’s Got Talent and The Voice, talent comes in various forms and sometimes in the most unexpected and unlikely places.

I think that’s why those shows are so entertaining. The contestants may not look like the most confident singers, they may not carry themselves on stage with swagger and many have endured hardships and adversity, but when they open their mouths and sing…WOW!

I think there are a lot of similarities when it comes to finding tech talent. Stay with me here….

I often meet people in my sessions who tell me they feel lost, unmotivated and confused in their career. They’ve had a string of seemingly unrelated and varied job experiences, but can’t quite see how it will all tie together into the next steps of their career. Alternatively, they’ve had experience mainly in one industry/sector and have no idea how that can translate into a new field. 

Once we work through a process of self-reflection and discovery and do the work, I start to see their faces change, their energy shift, their eyes light up - they start to have hope. They start to see real, tangible pathways with next steps best suited to them to make a meaningful shift.

Don’t get me wrong - it’s not easy and it’s a process, and just like the contestants on these shows, they must practice, practice, practice! 

But eventually, they realize - hey, I do have talent!

InceptionU is hitting the road next week. We’re excited to team up with Edmonton Unlimited and look forward to meeting with students, leaders, career pivoters, job seekers and those curious about tech in Edmonton.

Similar to Calgary, Edmonton has a vibrant tech ecosystem with numerous startups, accelerators and Incubators. Edmonton is largely becoming known for its expertise in AI, health tech and gaming.

Notable companies like Improbable Games and Jobber are among some of the city’s success stories. And there are many more on the way. 

YEG Destination Tech will have a strong focus on equity, diversity and inclusion and there will be a variety of different workshops from skilled professionals and guest speaker Erin Leonty, VP of Clio.

Our session titled, You’ve Got Undiscovered Talent, will be an active and engaging opportunity to reflect on your past experiences, both in your career and in other areas of life. Together, we will:

Look at your whole self - We are each unique, vibrant humans.  We all have exceptional competencies, distinct knowledge and individual experiences that offer valuable insights and perspectives that the world of innovation truly needs.  Your perspectives and wisdom are a vital asset to the tech sector. We won’t just look at career highlights - we’ll also consider volunteer work, travel, creative pursuits, side projects, etc. Let’s find the things that light you up…and discover why. 

Accomplishment Analysis - Through a process of accomplishment analysis, you’ll begin to see what you’re good at, what strengths, skills and unique qualities you possess.  

Feedback and observations - Inviting and receiving feedback from others can be extremely helpful as they may be able to see qualities in you that you can’t see yourself. Prepare to be vulnerable and constructively accept feedback.

Communication skills - We’ll work on developing your ability to accurately communicate how you will bring value to a new company or employer.  It’s not about giving a laundry list of past job titles and responsibilities, but how you can make a positive impact on their business by leveraging your previous experience in other industries. 

Continuous learning - By practicing a growth mindset, being open to new people, opportunities and networking, you will learn that some of the most successful people in business have failed numerous times before landing the role of their dreams.

Some of the companies that will be attending are ALTA ML, Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation, Drivewyze, Ironsight, Levven, Punchcard and Zero Punch Cryogenics. This is a good chance to practice the skills we’ll be working on.

I can’t promise I will be quite as entertaining as Howie Mandell, but I’ll do my best. See you in Edmonton!

~ Margo