CAIP Canada is proud to be among the leading industry sponsors and partners of the CRIC hosted Virtual Co-op and Careers Fair on Friday, January 28, 2022. The event will take place from 12 pm EST to 4 pm EST, its first hour comprising main-stage presentations and keynotes, including those from CAIP Canada Board Chair Robert Wong, Carleton University’s Public Opinion Research Professor Dr. Scott Edward Bennett, The University of Alberta’s School of Retailing’s Executive Director Heather Thomson, and some others.
CRIC’s Students and Young Professionals/ Youth Engagement Committee chaired by Sam Pisani, Managing Partner at the Logit Group, and comprising a strong mix of academic institutions and professionals who are investing in growing youth representation, opportunities and retention in the industry, represents the organizing committee of this industry event. The Logit Group is a Platinum Sponsor and an employer at this event. Other employers currently signed up include Dig Insights, Environics Research, Hotspex, Ipsos, the Maru Group, Pollara Strategic Insights, QuestionPro, with more expected to register in the coming weeks. Participating academic institutions currently include CRIC members Algonquin College, Bishop’s University, Carleton University, Centennial College, Georgian College and University of Alberta. Other groups are also in the process of finalizing their support for this event.
“This event is an opportunity for students to connect with employers in different sectors of the research industry and client-side organizations all across the country. ”
Nathaniel Stone, CRIC Fellow, CAIP member and CRIC Youth Engagement Committee member and program coordinator of Algonquin College
CRIC academic institution members and CRIC member organizations can participate at discounted rates. The cost to attend is free for students of participating institutions, Full-time employed career professionals can attend at a nominal charge.
“Anytime our students get access to potential employers it’s a win. Learning to network is just as important as gaining skills within your industry. Self-confidence grows, relationships are built and students become more noticeable early in their professional careers.”
Matt Wheatley, BBA, Dip-PR, Stakeholder Relations Lead, Algonquin College
Quebec’s Bishop University is also well represented at the event.
“Experiential learning is an important part of Bishop’s University education. Students going through a co-op work placement can gain valuable, on-the-job experience working in their respective fields and become more employable upon graduation. Having the opportunity to meet employers at the CRIC virtual co-op and career fair will allow Bishop’s students to give them exposure to the industry while making connections for future co-op work placements and job opportunities.”
Elisa Gagnon, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Williams School of Business, Bishop’s University, Academic Institution Participant and CRIC Youth Engagement Committee member
Keynote presenter Carleton University Professor Scott Edward Bennett will be referring to the CAIP Competency Framework and emerging skills in public opinion research, offering advice for those looking to develop a career in the public opinion research discipline.
“There are three broad types of skills that are important in succeeding in the field of public opinion. First, there are the technical analytic and design skills used to find the patterns in data and information. Second, there are the skills involved in understanding the motivational and contextual factors that drive the patterns in the data and provide a framework for interpretive insights. Third, there are communications skills that are important in relating to clients and the public. There is an additional consideration that takes on special importance for public opinion professionals. That is the question of how direct is the relation between opinion and behaviour across groups that have different ways of using language. That is a concern in most parts of the world, but it has particular importance in Canada. Those attending the Career Fair can get a useful overview of some of the factors mentioned above. The important point beyond all that is to get a sense of this kind of professional activity and to see if an individual’s vision for their career fits with the probable future of the research, analytics and insights profession. It will be a dynamic future.”
Scott Edward Bennett, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, Carleton University, CRIC Youth Engagement Committee member
Armed with the right skills and techniques, students, mid-career professionals and others looking to explore the breadth and diversity of the profession can look to gain from a rich mix of presentations, learning booths and industry employers.
A strong mix of employers will be looking to hire for a variety of job opportunities and co-op projects. Industry employers expressed their eagerness to connect with talented research, analytics and insights professionals across the gamut of research interests and specializations. Participating employers expressed their expectations and hopes of the event while highlighting aspects of their workplace cultures below:
“Within a collaborative and entrepreneurial environment, all new staff will be provided with exposure to a wide span of industry sectors and client issues. Armed with a sense of curiosity and openness to exploration, they will be able to gain experience with the full range of end-to-end research activities, and develop a consulting mindset that is firmly grounded in our systems for understanding human motivations, social values, and decision-making influences.”
Susan Seto, Senior Vice President, Market Strategy, Environics Research, Industry Employer
“Maru is a world-leading software and CX advisory insight company. We value candidates that are motivated, eager to learn, and can provide actionable insights through a variety of software and advisory services.”
Elizabeth Gong, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist, Human Resources, The Maru Group, Industry Employer
“We’re always very focussed on understanding and fostering the skillsets, interests, and ambitions of the next generation of researchers. This jobs fair is also a great opportunity for us to engage in a dialogue with new and future graduates about Pollara’s exciting new areas of growth and innovation, and to see how they might apply their education and pursue their career goals as a member of our collaborative team of leading researchers.”
Craig Worden, CAIP, CEO and President of Pollara Strategic Insights, Industry Employer
Aside from employers, there will also be a few knowledge exchange booths including one dedicated to continuing education tips hosted by CAIP academic partners MRII and the University of Georgia featuring Pamela Bracken, Department Head of Special Projects and Curriculum Development.
Visit the CAIP Canada booth to learn how to earn your certification through one of three pathways, and see how the CAIP designation could advance your career prospects in the research, analytics and insights profession. If you are an employer looking for your next set of hires or want to connect with some of the next generation of professionals, or an academic institution looking to offer a range of co-op opportunities for your students, please express your interest in participating to [email protected].
To learn more details about the event, please visit the event page here.
About CAIP Canada
The Certified Analytics and Insights Professionals of Canada is the professional body for Canada’s Certified Analytics and Insights Professionals (CAIP). Its mission is to power the success of businesses and organizations by ensuring that CAIPs have the competencies needed to unlock the power of data while maintaining the highest ethical standards that protect the public trust. CAIP Canada is supported and endorsed by the Canadian Research Insights Councils and the CAIP is globally endorsed by ESOMAR. For more information, visit www.caip-paim.ca or contact Arundati Dandapani at [email protected].