Undergrad Info

Episode Four: The Econ Job Search Podcast with Caitlin Zhang

April 24, 2025 By Kate Baggott

Caitlin Zhang has been learning as much as she can about finding her first job. The fourth-year student, who will convocate in June, has been sharing her job search journey and all the advice she receives in the Econ Job Search Podcast. In this episode, she speaks with class of 2023 alumna Alyssa Nurse. The economics and political science graduate is currently an IPA specialist at CIBC Mellon.

Internships, networking, and extracurricular activities are all part of this discussion. It’s not a matter of checking all the boxes, Alyssa cautioned, finding a workplace and a position that’s right for you will consider the experiences you have had and the choices you’ve made. The challenge is to match experiences with the skills and assets outlined in the job description! [Read more…]

One Undergrad’s Way to Better Writing in Economics

March 26, 2025 By Kate Baggott

Start preparing for those exam essay and writing questions now! Here’s how to do it in seven easy steps.

In economics, being able to draw and label a great graph is a core skill. Undergraduate students often focus so much of their energy on graphs and charts, that they don’t spend enough time writing the explanations of those great graphs, or composing descriptions of the intuitions it supports, or the graphs’ limits while using economics terms and concepts. Ke (Catherine) Wang confronted her writing limitations and overcame them. She agreed to share the advice and knowledge of useful tools to help other students succeed in improving their writing. Catherine went from a grade of 72% on her first writing assignment for ECO200 to 85% on her second.

“I was very disappointed in the results of my first writing assignment in ECO200,” Catherine remembered. “I reflected on which parts I needed to put effort into for the next writing assignment and asked Professor Khazra for advice. She gave me some suggestions to help me improve.” [Read more…]

Announcing the Econ Job Search Podcast with Caitlin Zhang

March 20, 2025 By Kate Baggott

An undergraduate degree takes years to complete, but eventually, convocation comes for everyone. And with the approach of graduation, comes the next big life transition: The full-time job search.

There’s no denying the job search is a daunting task. Mingyang (Caitlin) Zhang decided to deal with its uncertainty by seeking advice. And then sharing that advice with other students.

The Trinity College student was inspired to start The Econ Job Search Podcast with Caitlin Zhang after acting as an economics ambassador during Program Exploration Days, a program created by the Faculty of Arts and Sciences to help students and potential students consider their options. Caitlin will convocate this spring with a double major in Economics and Mathematics.

“Students I spoke to on Program Exploration Day asked what graduates with an economics degree typically do,” Caitlin remembered. “I was unsure of the best answer to this question, so I wanted to explore the topic further by connecting with our alumni and understanding their perspectives on their undergraduate studies and career paths.”

The first episode of the podcast features Caitlin’s interview with class of 2009 economics alumnus Aaron Prakash. Prakash, now a commercial account executive with Salesforce in Sydney, Australia, shared his own experience featuring the need for flexibility and resilience in the search for that first job.

The Department of Economics spoke with Caitlin about her motivation in creating the podcast. [Read more…]

Emotional Weather Forecasts: Econ Student Entrepreneurs

February 27, 2025 By Kate Baggott

Weather predictions are preparation tools. When rain is in the forecast, it’s best to bring an umbrella. Individuals should apply the same kind of preparation according to their own emotional weather forecasts. That’s the thinking behind Empact, a new app economics students Chuyi He and Siming Xiang pitched at the Centre for Entrepreneurship’s Hult Prize competition in mid-February.

“We are building an AI-powered emotional weather forecast app to predict mental health risks before they strike,” Chuyi explained. “We focus on three innovations: emotional radar, resiliency missions, and a community defense network.”

Users journal their emotional state or mental wellness by selecting a series of icons to express their moods. Wellness strategies, such as taking exercise, spending time at a club or event, or enjoying a hobby can also be logged.

The team is currently exploring how the app can meet the needs of diverse audiences.

“Our app offers a B2C model with free and premium options for AI-based mental health prediction, and a B2B model with teacher workshops to educate educators on recognizing mental health risks,” Siming said. “Unlike traditional apps that have a 97% abandonment rate, we designed a sustained engagement model through gamification. For example, users can unlock a virtual badge for completing missions, like making a video-call with friends when they are feeling lonely.” [Read more…]

Undergrad Faiz Fuad & Learning the Art of Leadership

February 7, 2025 By Kate Baggott

The economist and the environmentalist, the introvert and the extrovert, the curricular and the extra-curricular are not contradictions. Rather, these spectra represent all the experiences and interests Faiz Fuad is determined to explore as an undergraduate. The third-year University College student from Malaysia is doing a double major in economics and environmental science. The two subjects he is passionate about are coming together in society, academia, and industry like never before.

“One of the courses I took back in Malaysia was called Environmental Systems and Societies,” Faiz explained. “Taking that course opened my eyes and made me more optimistic about the changes we can make to improve the environment. And, from what I’ve learned in economics, many of the problems we face today are related to externalities, like the common resource pool problems and negative externalities from air pollution, noise pollution, and other types of pollution. These issues are very connected to economics. I love the combination that I chose because there’s so much overlap and many opportunities for the future.” [Read more…]

Episode Four: The Econ Job Search Podcast with Caitlin Zhang

One Undergrad’s Way to Better Writing in Economics

Announcing the Econ Job Search Podcast with Caitlin Zhang

Emotional Weather Forecasts: Econ Student Entrepreneurs

Undergrad Faiz Fuad & Learning the Art of Leadership

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