Building tomorrow’s workforce: StFX Opportunities Fair connects students, employers

While it's only the second week of the academic year, employers are already engaging with StFX students about career opportunities.

On September 10th, the annual StFX Opportunities Fair brought 52 exhibitors, a mix of local and national employers and post-secondary institutions, to campus for a day-long event to meet and speak with StFX students and to help build tomorrow's workforce.

The fair provides an excellent opportunity for students to explore career pathways, network with potential employers, and discover meaningful employment and educational opportunities, says Jane MacDonald, manager, Student Career Services & Co-op Education, which organizes the event.

BRIDGE BETWEEN EDUCATION AND INDUSTRY

"A campus career fair is more than just a recruitment event-it's a dynamic space where students discover possibilities, employers and post-secondary institutions connect with emerging talent, and the university strengthens its role as a bridge between education and industry," says Ms. MacDonald.

"Attending a career fair gives students the opportunity to discover hidden job opportunities, practice professional communication, receive information about recruitment processes, and explore organizations' cultures firsthand. It's a space to grow confidence, build networks, and take meaningful steps toward a successful career."

FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY TO NETWORK

"It's a fantastic opportunity for students to make connections and network," says Eric Duffett of St. John's, NL, a fourth year marketing major in StFX's Gerald Schwartz School of Business who's been attending the fair since his first year.

"It's all about that face-to-face connection," says Mr. Duffett who notes he is still in contact on LinkedIn with potential post-graduate employers that he met that first year.

The Opportunities Fair is a great way to put yourself out there, to meet employers to see what they offer and what you can offer them, he says.

Now in his graduating year, and considering further education after his undergraduate degree, he says he's taking a different approach this year and is also meeting with university representatives to assess all his options.

Daniel Amo, a senior Gerald Schwartz School of Business student from Dartmouth, NS, echoes similar sentiments.

"It's a good opportunity to come face-to-face with recruiters. That's something you can't get in the normal job process," he says.

GREAT CONNECTIONS WITH STUDENTS

Alain Daigle, Outreach Officer with Correctional Services Canada (CSC), says they attended the StFX fair last year. "That's the reason we came back.

"StFX is just a really great place for us."

Mr. Daigle says they've had great conversations with students, who've shown the versatility and personal skills CSC is looking for in an employee. StFX students, he said, showed "they have that ability to work with our clientele" in such front line work positions as parole officers, social workers, mental health officers, social program officers, and more.

Additionally, many students may not be aware of the breadth of job opportunities, from health services to food services, available with CSC and he says a fair such as this offers employers a chance to share that knowledge and for students a chance to ask questions and learn more about possible careers.

RBC Capital Market representatives Armaity Bamji, Managing Director Collateral Services, and Annie Hennessey, a 2022 StFX finance graduate, and now Intake and Governance Manager, says the Opportunities Fair provides a terrific opportunity to meet with fresh, ambitious talent.

"We're expanding our network for early talent," says Ms. Bamji.

"It is an opportunity for students to connect and network with professionals in a variety of industries and fields. It is also an opportunity for employers to meet with potential new talent," she says.

Even though they're based in Bedford, NS, Ms. Bamji says they know there is a lot of great talent in the wider region and it's important to connect. Hiring Ms. Hennessey, a StFX grad, is proof of that, she says.

"Having face-to-fact time is more important than ever. It helps us develop that relationship early on," she says.

Exhibitors at the fair represented a diverse range of fields, from NS Health to Nova Scotia Federation of Agriculture; Duane Grant Thornton LLB to IBM Canada; and from the R.K. MacDonald Nursing Home and Correctional Service Canada to the Public Service Commission of Canada, the Victorian Order of Nurses (VON) to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Pictou County. The full range of exhibitors is available HERE.

Students in all years and programs were welcome to drop by the MacKay Lounge in Bloomfield Centre. Students also had the chance to be entered in a draw to win $1,500 towards an X-Ring.

Ms. MacDonald thanked Opportunities Fair sponsors, AC Group (Gold Sponsor, X-Ring prize); Sobeys (Silver Sponsor); and Sodexo (Bronze Sponsor).