Julie Perrone completed her Ph.D. at Concordia in 2013 under the supervision of Professor Ronald Rudin. Perrone’s research focused on the commemoration of Canadian sports heroes. Shortly after her graduation from Concordia, Perrone was hired as a Postdoctoral Researcher by the Centre for Oral History and Digital Storytelling to collaborate on the project, “What Happened to the Franklin Expedition.” In 2014, Perrone became a Senior Advisor in Corporate Communications at Via Rail. As a Senior Advisor, her primary role is to develop strategic partnerships in preparation for the 150th anniversary of Canada’s confederation. Perrone is very happy to have found a career that allows her to use the analytical, writing, and research skills she honed as a historian. She also enjoys that in her position she has the creative freedom to design new strategies for assessing potential partnerships. Perrone believes that one of the reasons she was hired by Via is that she was employed throughout her studies; during her bachelor’s degree she was an assistant in a law office and over time she gradually gained more advanced positions. For example, while completing her dissertation, she worked as the Assistant Director of the Association for Canadian Studies, eventually becoming the Executive Director in 2013. Perrone notes that her work outside of academia gave her a slightly different profile that helped her both support her studies and gain recognition from potential employers. Perrone encourages current students to have an open mind, be creative, and be willing to consider both academic and non-academic careers.
