The Business and Government Career Fair made its debut at UTM on Friday, October 1, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the RAWC. Approximately 700 students attended and more than 40 organizations participated. All current students and recent graduates of the University of Toronto were invited.
“The main purpose of the fair is to allow students to talk with recruiters and find out which companies are hiring and for what roles. Students may learn about different career paths with employers that they weren’t aware of,” said Adrian Berg, Assistant Director at the UTM Career Centre. “By attending the fair, students will have a better understanding of what positions are outthere and what skills and experience they need, so that they can better prepare for those positions and, when applying, highlight these on their résumé. Many of these organizations hire students from UTM.”
Upon entering the fair, hosted by the Career Centre, students were given a “Fair Guide” listing all the participants in the fair, an overview of each of the companies, their websites, the current positions they were hiring for, and whether or not they were accepting résumés at the fair. Every organization at the fair had its own table, staffed by representatives who were on hand to speak to students individually about their companies, provide information to curious and interested students, and accept résumés.
With résumés in hand, students mingled with representatives from different companies and sectors, including the Peel Regional Police, Baylis Medical Company, RBC Insurance, Ontario Public Service, Town Shoes, and the Canada Border Services Agency.
All levels of government—federal, provincial, and municipal—are reportedly Canadian students’ top most-desired employers. A survey of Canadian university and college students by Canada’s Top Campus Employers reveals that the Government of Canada the number one employer they want to work for, with the provincial government coming in second and the municipal government seventh. Other organizations on the list included Apple, Microsoft, The Hospital for Sick Children,and Health Canada.
The Career Centre offered some tips to students, including finding out which organizations are participating, updating your résumé, preparing questions, and dressing appropriately in order to impress recruiters.The Career Centre also holds workshops for résumés and cover letters that are available for sign-up via their website’s Events Calendar throughout the year. Individual résumé critiques are also available.
