Brewing Brilliance with Brien Convery, an Award-Winning Talent Executive
In a world where education holds the key to unlocking a brighter tomorrow, the question of whether there is enough support for student development in education institutions comes up a lot. Well, let me tell you that who we talked to in our most recent interview stands at the forefront of revolutionizing student development as an active executive in residence at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus. Meet Brien Convery, a talent executive who has a multifaceted journey also as a published thought leader, TEDx speaker, and podcaster on Coffee with Convery.
As an executive in residence, Brien is available to support the university from a student perspective, a research perspective, in terms of faculty, and also in career services. He’s given lectures about HR and the workforce in an amusing way which has motivated students to recognize their inner talent. It’s clear that he’s extremely passionate about advancing student development through teaching, mentorship and thought leadership.
My favorite is Wednesdays from 4 to 6. I host office hours with students to come and talk to me for, you know, as long as they want 15 minutes, half an hour, an hour or whatever they book. Once I had this insane opportunity at one of the major events to see 2400 students a year coming through the walls over seven years. This means 14,000 students coming across the stage at orientation. And when I look at that, I think about the hundreds and hundreds that I’ve met and the opportunity I took just to meet them or to have a conversation. It’s always nice to see where they started and where they are.
He has been recognized by LinkedIn as the 2021 LinkedIn Best Talent Voices/Talent Leader Award Finalist. Brien has helped not only students but well-established companies to put together a talent acquisition strategy for recruiting the best and most talented candidates.
Who he is just doesn’t end here. He’s also a TEDx Speaker. His talk about the importance of human skills for personal and professional branding when building a social network is full of great insights and information.
Brien even co-founded the Coffee with Convery Podcast that has over 5,900 downloads, and has been constantly working towards it for the past three years. It again highlights his passion for students and talent.
“In short, it’s students for student voices, and talent for talent, voices.”
His Journey 🪜
In his early stages of life, he wasn’t just creative, he was also adventurous, and was really good at looking at things from different perspectives. He’s a huge fan of trying new things and believes that, with this mindset, he was able to do things that led him to many opportunities where he was able to learn and gain valuable experiences.
“So whether you take a job and it’s based on skills you have, you always have to look for that other piece. What’s the learning in a new job? Is it a new industry? Is it a whole new discipline?”
He basically went from consulting to marketing and of course he was able to develop some important marketing skills while running the project for a consulting client.
“I think it’s just the idea of transferable skills. But I like the word ‘activating’. You can have all these skills but unless you articulate it and activate it, then maybe you may associate with this like doing the same type of role for their career, but most people nowadays tend to not do that”
Right off the bat, what got him started in this job was his passion for people.
“So basically I was consulting and working in the field on global projects and I really noticed the opportunity that it’s always about people, process and technology. And since I had the technology and the process backed down through my consulting, I thought the people’s side was interesting. So I gravitated towards human capital management consulting, which at the time led me to work in HR, which led me into talent.”
Oftentimes, we associate HR (human resources) with hiring. But, it isn’t just limited to that. There’s another aspect of it called: talent acquisition. It’s basically helping people be the best that they can be and help them think about their careers differently in terms of career portfolios and their career path.
“It’s quite a big umbrella term, including compensation, benefits and total rewards. So from that perspective, talent acquisition is what I find the most attractive and interesting.”
He uses an interesting anecdote to emphasize that the power of words and persuasion is extremely important when it comes to narrating and in the world of HR which is actually true when you closely think about it.
“And I think it’s human nature that we like to label people ‘boss’. So, when you have the opportunity to talk about something you did as a lived experience, telling a story can be beneficial, it can help change the perception about someone. ‘I thought when they were coming in here, they were going to be an accountant, maybe they should be this’. So, I think that the power of words and persuasion is important to tell a story.”
A Sip of Wisdom ☕
Since Brien has worked with so many students, he had such fabulous advice and useful tidbits that we thought were super eye-opening not just for teens like us but even for other people. Here are the top pieces:
#1 Don’t underestimate yourself as a younger person
You do have experience based on the generation you’re growing up in and the constant changes happening in your surroundings. That itself is very different and unique from the other generations. So don’t underestimate yourself and have the trust that you’re capable of doing anything you want to do.
#2 If you really have a passion, pursue it, go for it!
Try it and see what happens. Even if the worst case scenario arises, you’ll definitely have invaluable learning experiences from it. Keep your mind open and learning will come to you. In this generation particularly, there’s a lot of static force of someone else telling you what to do and how to do it. Don’t just do your plan A. Have a Plan B and Plan C. Take risks and make sure you’re the one deciphering what’s right for you on the journey.
#3 Take in the advice and listen to the advice from trusted guardians or mentors.
But, remember that you have to be able to make the decision for yourself and figure out what you really want to do. At the end of the day, it’s not your parents’ lives, it’s yours.
#4 Take the opportunity to soak everything up.
So, for example, if you get a job and you have the ability to take on new work and try new things, do it. Because everything’s a learning experience and life is really about lifetime learning. You’ll be surprised how much you can learn from people in different departments or other places.
#5 Don’t always think about the idea of keeping your head down and doing your typical work.
It’s kind of old school. Take the job, do your work, and have work ethic. But also give yourself the freedom to take breaks, chat, meet someone new in the office, and have fun!
#6 Your first job isn’t your forever job.
When I first started out at my first job, it came to me that this isn’t my forever job.
A first job gets you first-time experience in a field of study, an area that you’re passionate about, or even a side hustle to make money. But something will come along that you will realize you really love. Someone may ask you, “Would you ever want to work in marketing?” and that could unlock years of your life and a ton of your potential.
And I think when I had those moments, I was like, wow, somebody seeing something in me that I haven’t seen. But I think it’s important to keep this in perspective because the work that you’re doing and the impact you’re having, you need to feel that passion. And if you don’t, then it’s okay to say, I think I need to do something else.
#7 Know how to decompartmentalize as well as keep things in check and make sure you’re doing things.
Say no if you have to. It’s hard and could take a really long time to learn, so it’s important to understand that no matter what you’re doing, it is important to give yourself time to relax and recharge. Otherwise you just keep running on this wheel, and it can be very tiring.
For me, the beauty of what I do is with students and with talent acquisition at University of Toronto. They’ve kind of become my lifestyle because I enjoy it very much. But, I think knowing when to take breaks, knowing when not to sign up for a team, and knowing it’s okay to say ‘no’ can come handy.
#8 Have a source of motivation to help you get through obstacles like distractions and procrastination every day.
For example, what motivates me is other people’s success. Seeing the people that I’ve been able to meet, talk with, collaborate with over the years and seeing where they’ve gone in life makes me so happy. Personally, I’ve had barriers in my life to different things growing up. And I think that if you can be that helping hand to just listen and help and break down a wall or two will help everybody even if it’s just one person at a time. It works and that’s what’s important!
TL;DR 😅
- Brien Convery is an active executive in residence at the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus.
- He also has a podcast called Coffee With Convery and is a frequent TEDx speaker.
- He spends a lot of time with students and has heard a lot of stories, which gave us a ton of exciting insights to write about.
- He loves his job now and emphasized the importance of doing what you love regardless of external pressure.
- He also discussed how crucial it is to ask for advice from people you trust, always have a backup plan, and prioritize yourself (take breaks when you need).
Rapid Fire 🔥
Who’s your biggest role model? My parents have been my role model since I was a young boy. My dad gave me my work ethic in the ways that he approached life and worked hard. And then my personality of kindness comes from my mom. She taught me emotional intelligence and how to look at things from another person’s perspective.
What’s your dream job if not a talent executive? If I wanted to try something completely different, it would be a chef.
What’s your favorite hobby? My favorite hobby is bike riding, reading books and music. Music and entertainment is a big part of my life, so that means going to concerts and Broadway shows.
What’s your favorite store? Any store that sells coffee, so a coffee shop!
What’s your dream destination? New York and South Carolina Myrtle Beach
Marvel or DC? More Marvel. Yes!!
What’s your favorite holiday? Halloween because I love to dress up and have fun. I love seeing kids come to the door in really cool costumes.
What’s the proudest moment in your life? When I first took that first job after graduating from university. I moved out of my parents’ home and kind of started my own life.
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