Graeme Beaton (he/him)

Hi there! My name’s Graeme (he/him), and I’m an undergraduate Career Advisor here at the Centre for Career Development (CCD). I also have the pleasure of supervising our amazing Career Leader Workshops & Events team.  

My own career has been anything but linear! I graduated from the University of Waterloo with a Bachelor of Science in Honours Kinesiology, and a minor in Cognitive Science. Since then, I’ve worked as a private tutor, a freelance science writer, a pianist, a research assistant in computer science, and a social entrepreneur. I even returned to university for two additional years of undergraduate studies, during which I started working part-time as a career leader at CCD (more on this shortly).  

While I’m by no means at the end of my career journey, I’ve zigged and zagged more times than I can count since I began my undergraduate degree back in 2013. I’ve wanted to be a chiropractor, a neuroscientist, a writer, a doctor – the list goes on. Career changes can feel like lonely, major life transitions – until you realize that they’re the norm. Traditionally, I believe we’re expected to figure out “what we want to be” far too early in life, and we’re often led to believe that career paths are meant to be straightforward, which can box us in or close us off to formative experiences and opportunities. For many of us, careers are webs, not ladders. 

When I made the decision to return to school after graduation, working as a career leader completely changed the direction of my own career. I fell in love with the work we do here at CCD, supporting students as they traverse their individual career webs. I became fascinated with how work search and career development are utterly intertwined with purpose, identity, and wellness: a fact I’ve witnessed in peers, colleagues, students, family, and in myself over the years. Now, as a career advisor, I have the full-time privilege of listening to, supporting, and empowering others in pivotal moments on their own career journeys. Whether it be securing that first job or volunteer position in university, crafting your application documents, telling your story in an interview, or planning for your future career after graduation, my goal is to meet you where you are and inspire confidence in your next steps, whatever they may be. 

Outside of work, I’ve been an avid musician since high school (piano, guitar, and vocals). You might see me performing with my band in the Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge area, or across Southern Ontario. If I’m not in Waterloo, I’m up at the lake. Talk to me about music, cottaging, movies, podcasts, meditation, entrepreneurship, science and philosophy, self-development, or cats (if you book a virtual appointment with me, you’re likely to see mine make an appearance).