Ask an Alum

Our alumni have expertise and experiences that cover pretty much everything under the sun. And, they generally don’t mind sharing what they know.

To that end, you – the almost alumni – are invited to ask questions of some of those who have moved on from U of C to build successful careers in various areas.

Watch this page for expert alumni from the fields of economics, sustainability, entrepreneurship + business and finally, In April, non-fiction writing and punk rock singing.

Ask an artist:

Andrew Wedderburn (BA 2001) grew up in Okotoks, studied creative writing at the U of C and is the lead singer of the band Hot Little Rocket, a mainstay on the Calgary indie scene.

He always knew he wanted to write fiction and Andrew’s first novel, The Milk Chicken Bomb, was released in 2007. It’s set in a small Alberta town and chronicles the life of 10-year-old boy, his best friend, a group of Russians and a drifter who is trying to raise money to buy a used submarine. The book was shortlisted for the 2007 ‘Books in Canada First Novel Award’ and the 2008 ‘ReLit Awards: Novel.’

As his book was coming out, his band was putting out an album called How to Lose Everything and then they toured across western Canada to support it. Andrew works part time at iStockphoto.com and is writing his next novel. His first book took six years. He’s hoping this one won’t take as long.

Want to ask a question. Email your submission to gty@ucalgary.ca

Ask an entrepreneur:

Avil Beckford (BComm 1991) is an entrepreneur, author and president of Ambeck Enterprise, a business consultancy in Toronto.

She has always believed that you can achieve your goals if you’re serious, determined and resilient. Avil has written two books about personal fulfillment, Tales of People Who Get It and Journey to Getting It. She says the foundation of personal fulfillment is to be passionate, focused and engaged in continuous learning.

Ambeck Enterprise collects, analyzes and delivers strategic intelligence to senior executives. The work she did for one client appeared on the front of the Wall Street Journal.

Avil has lived in three countries – her native Jamaica, Canada and the United States.

Check out her blog at www.theinvisiblementor.com and peruse her newsletters at www.ambeck.com/resources.html

Q: How do I decide which business to start?

A: You have to find a need and fill it. To do so requires being aware of what’s going on around you. Read widely, subscribe to blogs, Google Reader, and clipping services such as Google Alerts, Yahoo! and iCopyright Clip & Copy. The more diverse your reading, the more great ideas you will generate.

Jeff Bezos, the founder of online juggernaut Amazon, while reading observed that Internet usage was growing by 2300 percent a year. Jeff looked at this astounding statistic and wondered how he could capitalize on it. He then reviewed the Top 20 Catalogues to determine which one would best translate to an online business and decided on books, and the rest they say is history. It wasn’t easy, but Bezos was and still is determined to succeed, and his awareness has enabled him to change the way Amazon does business to make it more relevant.

Many university students know about a SWOT Analysis: an inventory of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. In this instance, perform a personal SWOT Analysis, that is, look at your Strengths and Weaknesses and the Opportunities and Threats that could affect you.

Whatever you do, do not only choose to fill need, but also make sure that you are passionate about your business idea. Focus, passion and learning are critical elements for success.

Ask a sustainability expert:

Theresa Howland (BComm 1999) was interested in sustainability even before she knew it was called sustainability. Growing up on an acreage near Edson, she developed an appreciation for space, air and nature.

Now a VP at Bullfrog Power, Theresa has been in the electricity industry since 1996 and has spent most of that time working in green power. She’s worked in business development for wind power at TransAlta, helped with Enmax’s Greenmax program and chaired the Board of Directors for the Canadian Wind Energy Association.

Theresa sits on the Board of Directors of both the Clean Calgary Association and the Clean Air Strategic Alliance

Q: Where did the term sustainability originate?

A: A lot of people seem to have different ideas about what sustainability means. But the most common defintion that's used out there comes from a 1987 UN report: the Bruntland Report.

That definition states:
"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."

If you're concerned about sustainabiliy, you're in the majority. Most Canadians say list sustainability as a high or top priority. You'll find more employees are choosing employers who care about it and consumers want to buy products that incorporate sustainability.

Ask an economist:

Todd Hirsch (MA Economics 1993) is the Senior Economist at ATB Financial but you probably know him better as a writer who contributes frequently to the Calgary Herald and the Globe and Mail. You’ve probably also seen Todd on TV commenting on economic trends and issues.

Over the years, Todd has worked at a number of places including the Canada West Foundation, the Canadian Pacific Railway and the Bank of Canada. At ATB, he provides economic information and intelligence and tracks developments in the economies of Alberta and North America.

Todd also teaches two economics courses at the U of C, mentors students through the Economics Society of Calgary and is on the Board of Directors of the Calgary Arts Academy.

Q: Does the recession mean that fewer baby boomers are retiring and the big labour crunch (that pretty much guaranteed all of us jobs) will go away?

A: The dynamics of the labour market could certainly be affected by this. For so long, we've been anticipating this tidal wave of baby boomers to retire, and freeing up all kinds of job opportunities in the process. But this could delay that a bit. It may make the work situation a bit more difficult for those recent grads looking for jobs, but I think only temporarily. In the long run - even if they end up working a few years longer - the baby boomers will still be retiring. The effect will only be somewhat postponed.