Andrea Ryan truly appreciates when employers visit the University of Alberta campus to talk about their companies.
The 30-year-old student says it’s a great chance to learn about employment opportunities and the character of organizations.
On the flip side, campus visits are also becoming increasingly important for businesses – large or small – that want to raise their profile among the next generation of employees.
“They come to the campus and they support us, they give us tips and hints about finding work in their field,” says Ryan.
“They are building a relationship. And when I graduate, I know the ones who I want to build a career with.”
While savvy businesses understand the value of speaking on campus, many more have the mistaken impression that they are too small to matter, says Carey Castillo, manager of employment services in the U of A’s Career and Placement Services centre. “They think that because they might only have one or two positions to post, they shouldn’t be here. That’s not the case. We want them, because people are hired one at a time.”
Like many post-secondary career centres, the services they provide to businesses are growing. For example, next year the U of A will host seven Career Days, the largest on Sept. 24 when 130 businesses will be available to meet an expected crowd of 7,500 students. In more intimate settings, the centre helps companies organize smaller sessions by providing a room, and by advertising the session directly to students that the employer is interested in reaching.
The centre also discusses whether the company has appropriate displays, brochures, and practical matters – such as whether or not it wants to provide food and beverages, or even offer gimmicky giveaways.
In these company presentations, Castillo explains that some bigger businesses will bring an HR person, the one who does the hiring, and also a line manager, someone who can talk about a specific job for which they might be hiring.
“We think that raising the company profile is an important issue,” says Castillo.
“Many of these companies get unsolicited resumes all the time. But if you put on a specific information presentation here, students can assess if it’s a company that they’d be comfortable working in, with interesting jobs and career opportunities.”
Each year, companies post between 1,500 and 1,600 jobs on the centre’s website (some contain multiple opportunities). The site itself gets 1,000 hits a day. “We ask employers to think ahead,” says Castillo. “We think that the posting should be up for a month so that as many students as possible can see it.”
It also gives students and alumni the opportunity to research the company. It’s a strategy students are encouraged to use, especially during career days when students and employers are trying to find a good fit in a tradeshow atmosphere.
Castillo notes that some employers have these career days down to a fine art.
“You will often see a large booth that attracts attention, and notice that the company has a few people briefly chatting with students,” she says.
“They’re doing a pre- screening. If a student appears promising, another employer may take the student aside and talk in more detail.”
Ryan says it’s a two-way street. The more information each side has in advance, the better chance they have of connecting.
Ryan has a unique perspective. She holds a degree in education, and is now working on a bachelor of science in human ecology, majoring in family and consumer studies. She’s also a full-time summer peer counsellor in the U of A’s career centre.
“The one thing that comes out loud and clear when I talk to students is that they want something where they can utilize their education. They don’t want to waste the time and effort that they’ve put into school.”
She adds that the notion of work/life balance is another issue that is surfacing for many students. They have seen their parents or relatives working “unbelievable” hours, with the result that they don’t have time to build family relationships.
At the centre, students are taught to write resumes, work on interview skills, research companies thoroughly and even do mock interviews to prepare for a specific interview.
They are strongly encouraged to think about managing their careers, to take those skills forward so they can seek out future jobs.
The smart students already understand the importance of developing skills in the workplace, building relationships and networking, says Ryan. They take advantage of any edge they can earn.
“I’m one of those students who, like some of the arts students and science students, don’t necessarily have a clear path when they are done,” says Ryan.
“There are a number of options out there. So it’s nice to have the opportunity to meet employers and find out what kind of grads they hire, what the opportunities within an organization are.”
The reverse also holds true. Experts predict a shrinking labour pool as the baby boomers retire and fewer young people enter the workplace.
Campus visits allow employers to assess that pool of talent, and raise their profile. It’s an edge they should consider.
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