Alex Gibson

Making connections with people comes naturally to Alex Gibson, and he has been using that skill in his role as a human resources professional, and in local professional organizations.

Originally from Nova Scotia, he has been a member of the St. John’s Board of Trade since he graduated from Memorial University in 2011, and was recently named Director of the organization. “I really love connecting with people, meeting people and hearing their stories, and just helping anyone find better employment opportunities,” said Alex.

Alex was instrumental in launching Connector NL, and has helped more than 10 Connectees in less than two years. The program benefits Alex, who finds good candidates through networking. In turn, these connections help new Canadians who struggle to break into an unfamiliar community. He gives the example of Prashant, who struggled to put his background in IT and business to use after moving to Newfoundland from India. A few months after meeting Alex, he was working as a business analyst at an IT company. “He was definitely the shining star, we ended up hiring him,” said Alex. Alex tells Connectees that networking, in person and on LinkedIn, is the key to success in a new place. “Meet with a Connector, go to industry associations, anything that gets you face to face with like-minded employers. Because sometimes all it takes is that first encounter to get that snowball effect really going for you.”