By: Kellie Dalton (MI student assistant)
We know students are always thinking about what is ahead in their professional careers. To help navigate this, in 2021 SIM introduced our inaugural Professional in Residence, Cabot Yu. Originally from Montreal, Cabot works with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. I caught up with Cabot for the start of the new year to learn more about him and the advice he has for our grad students.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
Q1: What is your current job?
Cabot: My role at IRCC is manager of the Information Management Business Solutions team. My team plans, develops, supports, advises and educates on information management, systems, processes and tools. I believe I’m privileged to work in the department with the best mandate in all of government. We facilitate the arrival of newcomers and help them become the newest members of the Canadian family. Aside from the mandate, the part of my job I love the most is working with new professionals in IM.
Q2: What do you think are the most important skills for today’s IM professionals to have?
Cabot: What students learn in the MI program provides foundational skills and knowledge. Then add knowledge and skills in project management, business analysis and change management. A commitment to continuous learning and organizational awareness are two competencies I would add to the mix. A successful information professional will be continually developing and improving their knowledge as well as acquiring new skills.
Q3: What advice would you give to someone who is currently job hunting?
Cabot: Ignore the naysayers who claim that there are not enough jobs for all people graduating from IM programs. The jobs and opportunities are there for information professionals who understand the potential of what they have learned in the program and can translate it for different environments. The MI degree is one of the most versatile with skills that are transferable to any environment. Trust me, there are jobs.
Q4: Why do you think the IM professions are important to society?
Cabot: We provide programs and services that enable the success of our communities: we create opportunities and environments for learning, reduce risk to our organizations, connect people with information to accomplish goals and protect the privacy of Canadians. We help examine the past, understand the present and shape the future.
Q5: What do you see is the future of information management?
Cabot: The core of what we do hasn’t changed in a long time – we collect and organize stuff and we connect users with the stuff to accomplish their goals. What has and will change are the technologies that store and deliver content. As always we will adapt and adjust to understand the data, information and knowledge environment to best support the success of our users. As for whether we will ever move away from fixing paper jams…
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