My Career Story
Laura MacKinnon
Career Advisor & Educator | Supporting Early Talent on their Career Journey
Where it starts might surprise you.
After high school, I pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Dance.? Yes, modern dance.? What on earth does that have to do with my current job as a career educator for undergraduate university students?!? Well, very little these days, but that’s okay!? Dance and theatre are my first (and eternal) loves and that’s what I wanted to pursue at the time.??
During my degree I had a chance to take a class on arts education and I was enthralled.? I always liked the idea of teaching and was curious about how teaching and dance could be combined outside a studio environment.? I also really connected to the professor and made it a point to stay in touch.
Career Lesson: In postsecondary education or training, pay special attention to the courses, professors and topics that pique a special interest!? Hone in on those things to see where they could lead.
Fast forward to graduation and I already knew that the life of a professional dancer was not for me.? I decided to attend a teacher education program and see where that could take me.? I knew I didn’t want to be a traditional classroom teacher, and was curious as to how I could combine teaching and dance.
Career Lesson: It’s okay to pursue an interest even if you’re not totally sure of the outcome.? A spirit of curiosity, forward momentum and a sense of exploration will serve you well.
I graduated teachers college and reconnected with my arts education professor from undergrad.? She put me in touch with an organization running artists-in-the-schools programming and I was hired as a contract visiting artist.? It was a very cool job, but just contracts, so I knew I didn’t want to do that forever.
Career Lesson:? Cultivate your relationships! Take a genuine interest in people’s careers, update them on your progress and stay in touch. Everyone has had help in their career and most people are happy to extend that to others.
After working as a visiting artist for a couple of years, I wanted more full-time employment.? I started doing intensive research on the arts education landscape in Toronto and found an arts-based leadership organization hiring for a lead teacher.? I applied and got the job and ended up working there for almost 6 years!? I had the chance to collaborate with artists across disciplines, have full-time employment and grow in my new found nonprofit career.??
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Career Lesson: ?When you know it’s time for a change, research, research research!? I had no idea this organization existed until I started looking.?
After it was time for me to move on from that organization (I felt that I needed a change to stay motivated and engaged), I reached out to my network and discovered an Indigenous organization was hiring someone to run a career education and mentorship program.? I jumped at the chance - I had worked with the Indigenous community extensively in my previous role and wanted to continue in that work if possible.???
Career Lesson:? New jobs are not just about increasing your level of responsibility.?Career education and mentorship were a small part of my previous role but I wanted to grow further in that work!? I pursued a role to allow me to specialize in that space.
After two years with that organization, it became clear that the nonprofit industry was not going to serve me forever, with regards to pay, stability and professional development opportunities. I focused on researching roles at colleges and universities and eventually landed a job as a career educator and have been working in that field ever since!
Career Lesson: ?My life used to serve my work, but I needed my work to serve my life.? Your relationship to work is going to be in constant flux and the conditions of your work (pay, hours, benefits, location) matter just as much as the tasks you’re responsible for.
That’s a lot of different jobs, right?? I started out as a dancer and am now advising university students.? And so many other things also happened that didn’t get mentioned!? College courses, volunteering, taking a mental health-related career break, service industry jobs and more.??
I prefer not to think about my career as a path, but rather a constellation of interesting experiences that have enriched me and shaped my life in ways I could not have anticipated.
What career lessons have you learned along the way?? How have you navigated transitions?? Let me know and share this with a friend!
Visionary Values & Arts Education Leader; World Executive Advisor; LEAD/youthLEADarts Founder; DAREarts (now ThriveYouth) Founder; Windrush Estate Winery Partner
11 个月Thanks for sharing, Laura, your helpful and honest insights for all ages! It was a pleasure to work - and learn - with you through six fruitful years. You epitomize ‘Dream. Believe. Achieve. Lead.’
Non-Profit Leader & Grad Student. Bringing communities together through events & advocacy.
12 个月Great read! Thanks for sharing.
Change maker who is passionate about empowering children and youth with a knack for all things Business and Finance.
1 年Wow, Laura this was incredibly insightful! Thank you for sharing your career journey, it’s enlightening to know that education and careers are not meant to progress in a straight line. There are so many opportunities that everyone deserves the chance to try out - and along the way you can find your “true-calling”, which could change too! A little leap of faith can go a long way too!
Sr. Manager, Education Experience @ BrainStation | Education, Partnerships & Talent Success | Program Management with a Focus on Empowering Futures ?
1 年Hi Laura, I loved reading about your journey. I think one of the most unique things about our field is that it's not one of those career paths you learn about as a kid. It leads to a lot of interesting stories, often fueled by planned happenstance.