Record Engagement at Trent’s Largest-Ever Virtual Career Fair

February 3, 2023

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Over 120 organizations join virtual Career + Experiences Expo to meet Trent students, provide networking help, and connect them with job opportunities

a photo of the student centre, a large building with glass walls, against a blue sky with the sun setting to the right of the frame.

Careerspace at Trent has created a virtual career experience to make it easier than ever for students to connect with employers, internship providers, and experiential learning organizations. With over 120 organizations in attendance engaging in over 1,000 chats with students, many organizations are praising the calibre of the Trent students they spoke to at the first virtual Career + Experiences Expo held on January 31, 2023.

“We have quite a few potential candidates to follow up with and have invited a few back to the next in-person job fair to meet face-to-face,” said Nicole Desrosiers, a representative from Gauvreau & Associates CPA, one of the sponsors of the expo. “Honestly, so many of the candidates we talked to were very well prepared and asked great questions. Even though some aren't graduating quite yet, they are very interested in learning about what skills and experience we are looking for so they can make their resumes stand out when they are looking for full-time employment.”

Helping students and employers put their best foot forward

“When picking the best platform to host our Virtual Career Expo, we wanted more than just a way for students to speak with employers,” said Kevin Whitmore, director of Careerspace. “Combining a great platform with the preparation we provide at our resume and interview skills workshops at Careerspace, we have seen students leaving the expo with jobs already lined up for the summer and post-graduation.”

With Brazen, students can upload their resumes, follow-up with employers, and identify specific interests. Employers are then able to reach out to promising candidates. With a variety of employers attending, and an equally diverse number of programs of study, the Career + Experience Expo became not just a job fair, but a networking event, and an internship and co-op placement generator. Students were even able to engage with employers to discuss equity, diversity, and inclusion practices.

"During Careerspace’s Career Expo, I got to speak with many employers and ask them about their accessibility and process of accommodating employees. It was a great opportunity to inform myself about the work environment before going through the process of applying and interviewing for a position. The employers I spoke to were keen to speak about accessibility and even shared their active plans to increase their accessibility," said Emi Habel, a Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems and Sociology joint major student. "Opportunities to speak with potential employers openly about accessibility at work destigmatizes accommodations and removes employment barriers for disabled students."

Even more ways to engage

In addition to hosting two virtual events in January and March, many employers including Gauvreau & Associates, Plan A Peterborough, and BakerTilly will be coming to the Student Centre to meet students for a series of in-person dates:

February 9, 2023