People Lab Panelist: Renante Rondina
I’m pleased to introduce Renate Rondina as a panelist. He will be joining us on June 6th at our People Lab Panel on Resiliency & Adaptability. Reserve your spot here:
Renante Rondina recently completed his PhD in psychology at the University of Toronto where he studied the cognitive neuroscience of aging. He is a Mitacs postdoctoral fellow at Western University where he conduct behavioural science research at Carrot Insights Inc.
I had the an opportunity to work with Renante at Carrot and have enjoyed our conversations about behavioural change. Carrot Rewards is an AI-driven public engagement platform that leverages behavioural economics (nudge theory) to promote and reward responsible lifestyle choices. Carrot harnesses the power of the most popular consumer loyalty points programs to maximize its consumer appeal and user engagement.
When you think about Resiliency & Adaptability, what would you tell someone who was considering working in your industry?
If you are finishing a PhD and are thinking about moving into industry, you may feel that your education makes you an expert at one very specific thing, but you may lack confidence in your ability to do anything else. My first piece of advice is to recognize that your training and research experience equips you with a lot of highly transferable skills, and your degree tells employers that you are an intelligent and hard-working individual who is capable of making significant contributions to any organization once you put your mind to it. My second piece of advice is to be open and pursue all sorts of opportunities, even if it has very little to do with your research background, as long as you feel that you can learn something from it and grow professionally or as a person (it also helps to add more accomplishments to your resume or CV). My third piece of advice is to recognize how your scientific and/or research background affects the way you see the world and what your values are, and how that makes you different compared to others without a science background. This is a strength, even if other people don't recognize it, and it's up to you how to make the most of that.
How has building Resiliency & Adaptability in your own life / career benefited you personally?
Very early on in my graduate career I knew I wanted to move into industry. But I didn't know what that looked like. I spent most of my time as a graduate student exploring different ways I could use my PhD-training to add value. I participated in a lot of extra-curricular activities both within and outside of my academic research circles, where I was able to learn a lot, gain leadership experience, and accomplish a lot of things I never would have had the opportunity to do inside the lab. It was because of this journey that I went through that I was able to get the Mitacs Elevate postdoctoral fellowship.
