Employers to exhibit, network with students
By Cazzy Lewchuk, Staff Writer
Douglas College will once again be holding its bi-annual career fair at both campuses. The career fair is jointly presented by the Douglas College Alumni Association, Student Employment Centre, and Douglasâ Co-op Education services.
The Douglas Studentsâ Union will be providing free coffee and donuts at the event. In addition, many of the employers exhibiting will provide free âswagâ like pens, buttons, and lanyards.
Students will be able to meet with employers and representatives from a variety of industries, including many that employ graduates of Douglas College. Some of the employers will have positions available for current students, whereas others may be of more interest to students after graduation. Due to the potential networking connections, students are advised to dress professionally and bring copies of their resumé, as numerous one-on-one opportunities will be available throughout the day.
Twenty-seven employer representatives will be exhibiting at the New Westminster fair and 26 at the Coquitlam fair, the largest Douglas Career Fair turnout to date. Many of the employers will be returning to the campus from previous fairs, such as the RCMP, Steve Nash Fitness World and Sports Club, and the Developmental Disabilities Association. Many new exhibitors will also be joining this year, such as Big Brothers and Sisters of BC Lower Mainland, HUB International Insurance Brokers, and Bench Accounting. Thrifty Foods, Vancouver Airport Authority, and the Autism Support Network are some more examples of the diversity of work opportunities provided by this yearâs Career Fairs.
Andrew Senjack, the Douglas College Alumni Relations Coordinator, explained the main purpose of the career fair for employers and students alike: âItâs to hire Douglas students and to give students opportunities and options for employment after Douglas.â
One of the Alumni Associationâs main goals is to provide new employment information to former and current students. âWe are trying to connect students with many career-oriented opportunities while they are attending Douglas College to better prepare them for life after college. By connecting students with alumni who are practicing in the field they are studying, and connecting them with more employers each year, we want to give them a head start,â Senjack added.
There is currently a waitlist for employers to connect with Douglas students. This is one of the reasons why a fall job fair in October was introduced in 2013, as the demand for exhibitions at the fair exceeded the March fairâs availability.
The New Westminster campus Career Fair will be hosted in the concourse on March 3. The David Lam campus fair will be held in the atrium on March 5. Both events will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and the events are free to all students and general public, with no registration required.
