Students gathered into the lobby of the Research and Academic Centre West for the On Campus Job and Experience Fair held this past Wednesday. The event was organized by the Career Development Centre, who, according to Jennifer Hicks, were very pleased with the outcome.
“The feedback from other departments is great,” said Hicks, an employment consultant with the Career Development Centre. “It gives them an opportunity to connect with students.”
Kiosks were set up well before the 11 a.m. start to the event. It ran through to 1 p.m., when booths started packing up. The job fair was just one of many events organized by the Career Development Centre as part of the “Get Experience Week.” As Hicks explains however, the job fair was the best way to reach out to students.
“It’s great for departments that don’t necessarily work with students,” said Hicks. “Some administrative offices don’t have students coming in and out and this is a great opportunity for them.”
The mere influx of students was enough to create a successful event, with the main goal being to create awareness. Many of the administrations present weren’t necessarily hiring, but still received applications and visits from interested students. The event serves as an outlet for these organizations, especially the lesser-known administrations that Hicks describes.
For well-known administrations like the Hawk Desk, the event provides students with information on hiring, but is not necessarily an immediate outlet to a job search. The Hawk Desk kiosk, for example, gave out cards for important dates concerning hiring, but won’t do their hiring until next year. The presence of these administrations is important however, since students may miss application dates.
“We don’t necessarily have anything available right now,” says Kristen Hogg, coordinator of Fitness, Nutrition and Wellness at the student gym. She added, “But if students want a job with us next year, they have to apply this year. Not everyone knows this and it is especially important for new students.”
In this context, the fair served as an information session to all students who passed through. Students were able to learn about the services offered, and how to get involved. More importantly, they were able to speak with some of the heads of departments directly. Even for Emma Marc-Antonio, a third-year student, the event proved to be helpful.
“It’s a great opportunity to meet new people and make connections,” she commented. “Especially for first year students, it’s a great way to get involved on campus.”
Emma was also present to advertise her group, the Night Hawks. Midst the job centres, there were also volunteer groups looking to raise awareness. As the school continues to grow, events like the job fair will too. Getting more people involved is crucial to growing the event. With the number of people coming in and out, organizers felt it was a success. The event and the whole week were centred on one theme: Get Experience. For those who were present in RCW, on Wednesday, that is what was felt.
