Ilia Essopos has a Doctor of Education and degrees in career development, human resources and psychosociology of communication. She is a guidance counsellor in private practice, working in the community, educational and organizational fields, and in the area of prior learning recognition. As a lecturer at Université du Québec à Montréal since 2005, she teaches in the career development program and the vocational and technical training teaching program. She won the Prix d’excellence en enseignement 2011, volet chargé(e) de cours (2011 teaching award of excellence, lecturer category), from the Faculty of Education. Her specific interests lie in effective, positive intervention, education, creativity and openness to possibilities. Her doctoral thesis was on maintaining and changing programs at the college level. She has also drafted information capsules for the Ordre des conseillers et conseillères d’orientation du Québec (Quebec order of guidance counsellors) on the importance of parental recognition, support and attentiveness in their children’s career choices and has participated actively as a researcher for the weekly radio show “Choisir sa vie” (choosing your life). She is also involved in coaching multidisciplinary teams of employability counsellors.
