Pat Canavan has had an extensive career with technology companies – Digital Equipment Corporation and Motorola Corporation – focused on business leadership, organization development, corporate governance and globalization. He was President of the Emerging Markets and opened up the China and India markets for Motorola. Since retirement, he has been involved in three entrepreneurial start-ups. Throughout his career, Pat has been responsible for talent development, and he brings that expertise to FirstGen Ahead.
Pat explains his volunteering to serve as a FirstGen Ahead coach: “I am the son of Irish immigrants and a first-generation grad myself.” He adds that “As a retired executive, I feel strongly about giving back and helping others succeed.” Further, he sees the coaching as involving two-way learning, not only can he help others, but he is interested in seeing how long-standing approaches to leadership development apply to today’s students about to enter the workforce.
The student Pat coaches is a marketing major with a desire to work in the entertainment industry. In commenting on their work together, Pat notes, “The give and take has been fluid, friendly and creative. We have gone in and out of the ‘big career picture’ to specific plans covering the following few weeks. I always finish our calls knowing I have been heard and that the next steps are in her court and the decisions are hers.”
As a coach, Pat describes his approach as, “on a continuum from ‘expert’ to ‘sounding board’ with co-conspirator, process consultant and option generator all available depending on the situation.”
Pat’s advice to FirstGen Students preparing for the workforce is: “Trust your instincts when exploring opportunities; remind yourself of how much experience you already have (managing family and friend relationships, your budget and debit card, prior jobs, classroom performance, etc.) and think of the transition from school to the workforce as one of many exciting reframings of who you are and will become.”
