‘Just go for it’: High school students hear career advice at trade show

On the first day of the Nunavut Trade Show, more than 100 people — most of them high school students — packed a room in the Arctic Winter Games arena to hear speakers from various organizations outline their training programs and offer career advice. “Everybody in this room, you can be what you want to be, and don’t let that impostor syndrome shut you down and say, ‘I can’t do it,’” said Carolann Harding, CEO of SmartIce Sea Ice Monitoring and Information Inc. She was one of seven speakers on a panel that included representatives from Qikiqtani Industry Ltd.

, NCC Investment Group Inc., Ampere (powered by Pinnguaq), and the RCMP. After describing their organizations and job training programs, some panelists spoke about the challenges they face in recruiting people, and offered tips to the students as they step toward their careers.



“I think the biggest challenge is that people may not see themselves in a specific role,” Harding said. Approximately 100 people, mostly high school students, listen in a room at Arctic Winter Games arena during a Nunavut Trade Show panel discussion about youth opportunities. (Photo by Jeff Pelletier) David McAdams, a human resources consultant with the ilinniapaa Skills Development Centre, encouraged the students to apply for jobs and opportunities, even if just for the experience of going through the process.

“You may not get the job, but you may get an interview,” he said. “You may get the chance to talk to the people that actually do the hiring, and they know that you’re interested in a job.” Cpl.

George Henrie, Nunavut RCMP’s media liaison and a recruitment officer, related to the young audience members, talking about his life growing up in Rankin Inlet and his policing career. He said he sometimes struggled in school, but has had a rewarding 22 years with the RCMP working across Nunavut as well as in the prime minister’s security detail. “Growing up, again, not being a student that had high marks, I didn’t believe I was capable of doing anything,” Henrie said.

“You’re going to find out how strong and how resilient and smart you really are.” He concluded by telling the students: “Just go for it.” Several panelists encouraged the students to come back to the trade show Thursday, which is public day, to have conversations at their booths about job and training opportunities.

Public day runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.

m. at the Arctic Winter Games Arena..