Return of career networking fair attracts large crowd
Algonquin College hosted its first post-pandemic career networking fair on Feb. 13 in Gymnasium A.
Key organizer of the fair Samantha Therrien said “it’s a huge job. We reach out to employers all across Ontario, and they pay a small fee to have their booth here as we are providing them access to our students.”
The fair saw a series of passionate conversations and an abundance of students dressed up in suits and ties with resumes in hand, preparing themselves to convince the representatives of those jobs that they would be a good fit.
There was a noticeable urge among students to try to jump ahead of their fellow line-mates, as if to prove to the potential employer of their punctuality even before they were hired.
While the students did agree that being first in line sets a good precedent, they did differ on what they believed should be the most significant item on a CV.
Level two project management student Joseph Alabbat believes that experience is by far the most important thing to have on a resume.
“I would say experience, purely based on the fact that I’ve seen a lot of my peers getting jobs because they have experience. We are all studying the same courses, we are all getting the same amount of education, the only thing that they have more than others is the experience and that is probably the most important thing,” said Alabbat.
Business administration and entrepreneurship student Maria Cauton said what you write on your resume must be what you’ve actually done.
“I would say being honest and consistent with what you write on your resume,” said Cauton.
Whether or not students got their dream job in that exact moment offered to them, the fair was widely considered a huge success and featured roughly around 70 different companies. Companies offered various goodies at their booths, including cotton candy, interactive games and more.
Job opportunities were offered for students with every passion imaginable. Jobs on offer ranged from working as a spy to working in HVAC.
One booth that went under the radar, but had plenty of incentives, was the Massage and Treatment Clinic, which boasted plenty of favourable perks that would certainly pertain to many students.
Massage Treatment Clinic representative Amanda-Lyn Smith explained the benefits of working in the industry.
“The main thing would be low hours and flexibility. You only have to work hands on about 25 hours a week, which allows you to have a really great work-life balance. If you have a family and things like that, you can adjust your hours to kind of what works for you. The other great thing about it is it’s a really high-paying job for a very low amount of time. You work hard when you’re doing those hours, but there’s a lot of variety,” said Smith.
This position was an illustration of the calibre of professions available at the networking fair and why students should keep an eye out for next year’s fair, where even more career possibilities will be available.
