Making the Most of Your Industry Site Visit

Professors who are connected to their industry know first-hand the issues, challenges, and expectations. This project bridges the gap between Professors and employers through work placement and mentorship as part of a faculty PD plan. These mutually beneficial relationships will strengthen curriculum, be a force for change in organizational values, and promote a culture of continuous learning.

Share these tips with students going on work placement, co-op, or their first job or interview. Being prepared will alleviate some of the nervousness associated with going somewhere new.

Before Your Visit:

• Before your visit, be sure to investigate the firm’s website, LinkedIn, Insta, etc. What is their mission, vision, and values? What extra-curricular activities do they participate in and why?
  

  

  What is the phone etiquette in the office? Is there anything you need to know/prepare in advance (ESA/OHSA/WHIMS)? What is the dress code?

• Take notes! We emphasize note-taking for our students, then forget its importance ourselves. Reflect on your visit in long format to organize your learning and remember key moments.
• Where appropriate, take pictures! Use a permission form (Sample Release Form), or ask if the firm has one in-house. Photograph people working, meeting, enjoying themselves. Then take a group photo. Post the highlights of your visit in social media
• Observe everything from the décor & lighting to the cleanliness of the kitchen. You can tell a lot about the levels of mutual respect in the organization from these cues.
• Make eye contact and greet everyone you pass – from the file clerk to the big boss, try to spend a little time with everyone in the organization.
• Send a Thank You email/card

Questions that lead to interesting conversations:

Consider polling your students in advance to find out what they would want you to ask!

• Tell me about the journey of how you arrived in your current role in this organization
• What do you love about your job?
• What do you like least in your day-to-day activities? What strategies do you use to get it done?
• Describe a typical day/client interaction
• Describe an error you made (or observed someone making). What happened? How did the error get corrected? What strategies are in place to prevent errors?
• If you were teaching my class, what would you emphasize?

Considerations for student engagement:

• What publications do employees review regularly? Can you get free 1-year student access?
• When/where is the industry sales/compliance/learning conference? If students volunteered to help out, could they get free passes?
• Is there a student competition that could be used as an assignment?

About the author

name: Angela Lyrette

institution: Algonquin College

Angela Lyrette is a full time Professor and Educational Developer at Algonquin College. Angela holds a Master’s Degree in Education, specializing in workplace and adult learning from the University of Calgary, a Teaching Adult Lifelong Learners Certificate (with Honours) from Algonquin College, and a variety of financial services designations from the Canadian Securities Institute. A self-professed life-long learner, her curiosity and enthusiasm for teaching, learning, and serving the community is evident in her body of work.