Getting a head start on career development

A record number of students turned out last Thursday for Dal’s Job & Career Fair, an event aimed at helping them kick start their careers by making in-person connections with potential employers.

More than 1,100 students attended this year’s fair overall, with 400 passing through the doors of the McInnes Room during the first hour of the event alone — almost as many as the entire attendance last year.

Many students were already lined up down the stairs in the Student Union Building before the registration table even opened in the hopes of increasing their chances of being among the first through the doors to make an impression on recruiters.

“It feels very critical to put myself out there,” said Rachel Labonte, a fourth-year Environmental Science student who was among those in the line ahead of time.

She said she feels it’s especially important as her convocation approaches and she considers what career options lie ahead.

Connecting with opportunities

Jill Malolepszy, Dal’s director of co-curricular experiential learning and career services, says the university has worked to expand the scope of fair over the past year or two.

While the event used to be framed more as an avenue for students looking to line up a summer job, she says it has evolved into a more holistic event designed to also help prospective graduates to begin plotting their career path.

“We are thrilled at the response to this year’s fair,” said Malolepszy. “It’s an indication that more and more students are looking to get a head start on career planning.”

More than 50 companies and post-secondary institutions and departments set up booths at the fair, including EfficiencyOne — an organization that designs and delivers resource efficiency programs and services in Nova Scotia.

Kristen Cook, the communications coordinator at EfficiencyOne, spoke about the fair’s merits from an employer’s perspective.

“What [are students] looking for from [EfficiencyOne] as an employer? This is educational for us as well,” she said, noting that this year’s fair was proving to be a great way to build out her organization’s resume bank.

Experiences for all backgrounds

The fair offered options for students of all academic backgrounds. Employers on hand ranged from companies such as Irving Oil, Bell Canada, and BioVectra to federal and provincial government agencies, and even an international university (Tel Aviv University).

Many students were first-time attendees, such as fifth-year Environmental Engineering student Hani Salem, who spent his time at the fair inquiring about various engineering opportunities with different companies.

“This is the first time I’ve even heard of [the fair], but I feel like [it’s] a great opportunity to network and make connections,” he said.

Other attendees had taken advantage of a number of preparatory workshops put on by Dal’s Bissett Student Success Centre in the days leading up to the event. Sessions were held on everything from resume and cover letter preparation to how to prepare to impress employers in the fast-paced environment at the fair, which is filled with others also competing to grab employers’ attention.

Dressed for success

And others made use of Tiger’s Closet, a recently launched Dal initiative that provides students with professional business attire. The initiative’s drop-off area is run out of the Bissett Student Success Centre on the fourth floor of the Student Union Building [SUB] while the actual closet operates in the basement of the SUB.

Claire Seremba (above), a student in her second and final year of her Master’s in International Development Studies, made use of the closet before a networking event earlier in the month. She heard about it from a friend and jumped at the chance to add to her professional wardrobe, which she admits was lacking before.

“You pick a full outfit, from jewelry to blazers,” she explained. She even received a business coat to complement her ensemble, which she referred to as one of the many “amazing finds.”

“What really caught my eye was the heart and the love brought into the project by the staff,” she said.