Mac grad Lavan Kandiah says the key to career success is building strong connections
Lavan Kandiah '15 shares how he went from not knowing what his next move would be after graduation to working with the United Nations.
Over the past six years, McMaster alumnus Lavan Kandiah ’15 went from being a history major to working with the United Nations in Africa. He says he’s still figuring out his path, but as a McMaster student he didn’t know where his career would take him.
“I knew I liked history and that it was worth studying, but that was it. I still am figuring things out so hopefully that’s a comfort to others.”
Kandiah’s favourite part of working at the United Nations is the exposure he gets to various aspects of the development work, such as the challenges of funding projects and engaging many stakeholders.
He credits his unconventional career path to creating strong connections with others and having a balanced outlook on the realities of work. “The way I approach jobs, or anything in life, is knowing that there will be parts of it that you may not enjoy, but that doesn’t mean it’s not for you.”
Kandiah shares why this mindset has kept him open to new opportunities and taken him on an interesting and fulfilling career trajectory. Listen to his reflections and advice for graduates today in a recent episode of the Unconventional podcast.
McMaster has more than 210,000 alumni living in 140 countries around the world, and they are some of the most amazing people you would ever want to meet. The Unconventional podcast will introduce some of our alumni who are working — in the arts, as cutting-edge entrepreneurs, leading the way in health, education, technology and more — to make our world a brighter place in their own unique way. Download the latest episode, or catch up if you’ve missed one, on Apple, Spotify, or Soundcloud.
