Suzanne Berry

Background

About Suzanne Berry

My guidance roles have taken different forms over the course of my career – I began as an Outreach Worker with the YMCA Youth Gambling Program, delivering presentations to schools and community groups raising awareness on the risks of youth gambling. I then transitioned into the role of Employment Counsellor, helping at-risk youth land their first job or successfully transition to apprenticeship positions in the trades following their secondary school education. Moving to BC in 2008, I joined the legacy CGA Association of BC (CGA-BC) where I began as an Academic Advisor, providing guidance to students with their course planning, supporting them through the challenges of balancing work with their CGA studies. I had the great privilege of exploring different roles while with the legacy CGA-BC, not only helping guide initiatives for student success, but later roles involving writing communication pieces, including articles, handbooks and student guides, and website content. Since the inception of the unified CPA Program, I returned to my roots in employment/career counselling as CPABC’s Career Counsellor, where I support CPA students, candidates, and members with their job search and career development endeavours. My involvement with the Practical Experience Mentorship Program has become a vital piece of my career counselling advice, and I now consider mentorship to be the “superfood” for every career. My career counselling philosophy is one of multiplicity that encourages job or career transition seekers to pursue multiple approaches – to not only include traditional approaches, but to also embrace research & exploration, relationship building, and serendipity into the process. I am a believer in finding your niche in the world of work and definitely advocate for aligning natural talents and interests, with a work environment that allows those talents and interests to thrive. Yes, I really do believe it’s possible…the unsinkable optimist