Dr. Erin Corber (PhD, 2013) is currently Graduate Career Advisor in McGill University's Career Planning Service where she provides career exploration advising, vitae and job-narrative preparation, and design-thinking workshops. Dr. Corber also consults with the Montreal Holocaust Museum on educational-tool content and docent training.

On history and its transferable skills

Literally everything I do in my work as a graduate career advisor is drawn from my history background. I'm analyzing, asking the right questions, helping people understand multiple narratives and interpret their own stories. As I show MA and PhD students that they can craft their own narratives instead of being buffeted by the forces around them, I can see them leave my office happy and empowered.

On collaboration

Because I'm working outside of the conventional academic environment at McGill, I've discovered how much it means to me to collaborate with people on big projects that require more than one person. I didn't know that about myself until I started considering jobs that looked less like what I expected when I started graduate school and more like the one I have now. I'm working with people whose perspectives make them good leaders and who've made me a better leader, and now I can imagine myself in more directorial positions in the future.

On a balanced lifestyle
Dr. Corber provided a sketch of the Sample Gates for our October 2019 Alumni newsletter and our Chair's Message.

The Montreal artwork is really me falling in love with home again. After I found a place for myself at McGill, I found I had a lot more space to choose what I wanted for myself, not just in terms of where I worked but in terms of where I lived and who was in my life. Lately I've been sketching all of the places I've called home—though none of them quite like Montreal—and everyone has their own stories about those places. These sketches have connected me to so many more of those stories than I would have seen otherwise.  Find Dr. Corber's prints on Instagram @yulove.mtl