The Summer Job Fair was held on January 12 from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. All students from UTM were invited to attend, including recent graduates of the past two years.
“The Summer Job Fair has been the best-attended fair through the years. It has only been 10 minutes and already 100 students have entered our compounds,” said Claire Westgate, coordinator for Events & Employer Services at the Career Centre. “We hold surveys out to the students and the employers after every fair. Students have consistently given positive feedback in regards to the fair, and employers really like UTM students in their recruitment. Compared to other campuses, these employers commented that they much prefer to come to UTM for these fairs. They say students from UTM are professional, and that the programs and courses at UTM are amazing, preparing students well for the tasks they need to perform.”
The Career Centre had 58 employers registered for the fair. There were tour agencies, camp recruitment programs, marketing companies, painting associations, and many other fields of summer work that students could engage in.
Recruiters at booths continually gave out flyers, brochures, name cards, and gifts to those passing by. Some of the more interesting associations seen at the fair were the Peel Regional Police, Canada Border Service Agency, Ontario Place Corporation, and even some well-known fashion retailers: Danier Leather Inc. and Town Shoes.
“We have registered with the Summer Job Fair at UTM for a few years now and we find it to be really well-organised. There’s a good turnout and traffic of students,” said Allie Lebold, store manager at Dixie Outlet Mall’s Danier Leather Inc. “We like students at UTM because they are well-educated and always prove to be good employees for our stores.”
The store manager of the Square One’s Town Shoes said, “We want to give students an opportunity to work at the best retail store! When we come out to the fair, we get to meet different people with different personalities that we hope to employ at our stores to better our services and employment range. We have been to the fair before and we hope to participate in the coming years too.”
Boards, placed at the entrance of the fair, held guides for students to approach organizations in regards to their field of interest or programs they were in.
“I’ve come hoping to find a job that is research- and science-oriented, but there does not seem to be too many organisations that meet my needs. Even though I’m slightly disappointed by that, I don’t regret that I’ve gotten to meet different people, establish connections and networking, and gain insights about other organisations that I may want employment with,” said Andrea Shim, a double major in biology and chemistry.
The Summer Job Fair was a success with a turnout of hundreds of students. To access further information about jobs are asked to log onto the Career Centre website.
