Yann Tanguay

Whether you’re in customer service or an executive leadership role, applied active listening is one of the most important skills you can cultivate.

Career questions with Yann

What do you love most about your work, and what inspired you to pursue this career in the first place? 

For all its challenges, I really value the ability to contribute in moments that genuinely matter. Supporting crisis response teams means being part of situations where the impact is tangible and meaningful, which gives the work a real sense of purpose. After working in this field, it’s hard to imagine ever going back to working a normal job. 

Looking back, what skills have been the biggest gamechangers in your career? 

Whether you’re in customer service or an executive leadership role, applied active listening is one of the most important skills you can cultivate. Fully hearing the other person’s perspective and making them feel seen, before offering feedback or direction makes your input far more effective (whether that's with your clients, peers, or subordinates). Even when you think you know the answer, taking the time to listen can challenge your assumptions. 

How did Concordia prepare you for your career? 

The further I’ve gone into my career, the more the skills I cultivated in university have mattered; project deadlines, teamwork, abstract thinking, proofreading and revision. Having studied economics (while I have yet to run a Cobb-Douglas function), being comfortable with numbers and data has certainly come in handy. More importantly, economics taught me to think in terms of trade-offs and incentives, which has carried over to more informed and rational decision-making. 

What is a standout memory from your time at Concordia? 

COVID hit during the last years of my undergrad, and I remember the quick shift from in-class to online learning. If one good thing came from it, it showed that you can still be productive and continue learning while working from home. It also taught us how to maintain a sense of connection with peers, whether that’s through video calls, team activities, or group chats. Those skills have become increasingly relevant with the rise of remote work. 

If you could give your younger self one powerful piece of advice, what would it be? 

Be fully invested in what you’re doing and embrace where you’re at in that moment. You’re only doing your degree once, so try to fully immerse yourself.

That doesn’t necessarily mean getting perfect grades, but in a more holistic sense, get involved; chat with your profs after class, explore extracurriculars, go to events and connect with people in your program.

The same applies for work: even if you don’t plan to stay in a field forever, take the time to learn as much as you can and be the best you can while you’re there. You’ll be grateful you did later on. 

What’s the most exciting shift happening in your industry right now? 

Since the launch of 988, we’re seeing crisis services become much more streamlined. Instead of having to search for a phone number, people can now get support as easily as dialing three digits, like 911 or 811. It also improved coordination between crisis hubs; shared platforms allow for more consolidated data, helping identify bottlenecks or inconsistencies in service. I think we’re going to see a shift towards more data-informed decision making, and I’m looking forward to seeing what improvements this will bring. 

Feeling inspired?

• Get involved with the Economics Student Society.
• Attend events organized by CU Wellness to learn more about well-being.
• Volunteer with a crisis hotline, peer counselling program or community organization, such as Concordia’s Nightline. 
• Connect with Career Counselling & Education Transitions to start planning your career path.