A world of opportunity was on display for students on Tuesday, November 22, as the Trent University Career Centre presented their annual Professional and Graduate School Expo at the Community Sport and Wellness Centre. 

The Expo allows students and prospective students to speak with representatives from institutions from across Canada and abroad, and it was a tremendous success, with hundreds of attendees browsing booths.

“There are 57 organizations from numerous countries on hand,” reported Angie Silverberg, director of the Academic Skills Centre and the Careers Centre.  “Students are being introduced to opportunities, not just from across Ontario and Canada, but from places like Australia, the UK, and the Caribbean.”

It was the most successful event of its kind that the Career Centre had ever held.

“We have twice as many participating presenters as we’ve ever had,” said Silverberg.  “And by the looks of it, we’ll have twice as many attendees as we’ve ever had before.”

More and more students are looking for the competitive edge that graduate and professional programs have to offer.

“There’s a sense of security in contemplating graduate studies,” explained third-year Trent student Mackenzie Veltman. “Specializing can put you at the top of the list when it comes to being hired.”

“You can go a lot further in your career as well,” added fellow third-year student, Laura Marshall.  “It gives you an edge that other grads might not have.”

Surprisingly, it was not just upper year students flocking to the event.

“Often you meet with mostly third and fourth year students at these fairs,” said Erin Davidson, registration and data management officer for Trent’s Graduate Studies Department.  “But we’ve had many first- and second-year students at our booth today.  They’re already exploring options and looking ahead.”

“The students absolutely love the opportunity to come and chat with representatives from such a wide variety of institutions,” explained Ms. Silverberg. “They leave here with the knowledge of opportunities they had no idea existed beforehand. They learn how to parlay their degrees into something even more valuable. They learn ways to enhance and specialise their knowledge and experience and they learn how they can convert their degree courses into other course programs, decreasing the number of classes they need to take in order to graduate from their post-degree areas of study.”

Meanwhile, representatives from other institutions find the one-on-one time with prospective students invaluable.

“As attractive as your website and promotional materials are, they cannot replace the opportunity for meeting students face to face,” said Trucilla Macedo, registrar for the Toronto Montessori Institute.  “You can answer detailed questions, explain how programs will fit the different needs and backgrounds of each individual, and share a sense of the excitement that comes with attending your school.”

While the Expo only runs once per year, students can still access much of the information offered at the event through the Career Centre.

“Students should know that the Career Centre is always here to answer questions and to offer information about programs in countless institutions,” reported Silverberg.  “We’re available to help students explore options, whether they’re around the corner or around the globe.”

For more information, please contact the Trent University Career Centre, or visit www.trentu.ca/careers/

Posted on Friday, November 11, 2011.