Jon Caputo

Business is largely about human connection, and being able to be yourself and deliver or sell content is probably the fastest, controllable way to success.

Career questions with Joe

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

Right now, I work in vaccines, which involves helping people understand the benefits of protecting themselves without making them feel pressured to take something, as can often happen with prescription medications. This gives me the ability to flex some unique creative muscles when it comes to engaging and helping protect Canadians. 

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

I think the most valuable skill I learned was how to be comfortable speaking in front of people, whether it's a small or large group, in person or virtual. Business is largely about human connection, and being able to be yourself and deliver or sell content is probably the fastest, controllable way to success.

How did Concordia prepare you for your career? 

At the time, we had a lot of opportunities to work in teams and present back to the class, and honestly this was probably the closest thing to "real world work" I had. 

What is a standout memory from your time at Concordia? 

Being a part of the Commerce Games was a lot of fun and helped me make some long-lasting friends. 

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

Learn how to engage with challenging group project teammates quickly and find a way to push forward together. You're very likely to find yourself in this scenario again, especially in the earlier parts your career.

Also, practice working quickly towards a good result versus working slowly towards perfection. Often in the real world, there are multiple major assignments due, and sometimes you're given very little detail up front.

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

For a long time, doctors and healthcare practitioners have been seen as the "gatekeepers" of health education. Although they are still undoubtedly the best experts we have when it comes to medical treatment and prevention, a person's ability to research and inform themselves has never been higher than it is now.

This comes with challenges, but in the best case, we are seeing highly informed people coming much more prepared to discuss their medical needs with their healthcare practitioners. This shift affects my industry because we need to balance our engagement between helping Canadians get informed, while ensuring they are prepared, or comfortable, speaking with their healthcare professional. 

Feeling inspired?

• Attend events hosted by John Molson Marketing Association or other John Molson student associations
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