YNCN’s Winter Career Fair 2022 FAQ
Do you have questions about this year’s Winter Career Fair? Don’t worry, as we have compiled some of the most frequently asked questions and some key tips to help you arrive at the career fair confident and prepared.
Where will the career fair take place?
We are excited to be hosting the Winter Career Fair (WCF) virtually on Hubilo this year on January 21st from 10am-4pm EST. You can register for the career fair here! Click on ‘Attendee Ticket’ to sign up!
I’ve registered for the career fair, how do I login?
When you registered here, you should have received an e-mail (make sure to check your spam folder!) with a log-in link. You can also log-in at yncncf.hubilo.com. When you enter your email, you will receive an email with a four digit code to complete logging in.
When you log-in for the first time, be sure to add your year, discipline, interests, and resume. Employers can view this information when they speak with you, and your resume will be provided to a career fair database for companies to view. You can always change your information by selecting your profile icon in the top right corner, the settings gear, and selecting ‘Edit Profile’.
What Events are going on during Career Week?
Monday January 17th 6:30pm-8:30pm EST: Resume Hackathon
Tuesday January 18th 6:30pm-8:00pm EST: Perfect your Pitch
Wednesday January 19th 6:30pm-8:00pm EST: PEY Speed Networking — Sponsored by Vale
Thursday January 20th 6:00pm-9:00pm EST: Winter Career Fair Kickoff
Friday January 21st 10:00am-4:00pm EST: Winter Career Fair
Note: by signing up for the Winter Career Fair, you also have access to the Career Fair Kickoff!
What is the Winter Career Fair Kickoff?
The WCF Kickoff occurs the evening before the Career Fair and is a networking event for University of Toronto students and company representatives. The event features keynote speakers from Qualcomm, Kepler Communications and iManage, and afterwards there will be an opportunity for casual networking. It’s a great chance to warm-up to networking through smaller-scale meetings with company reps and other students.
The ticket for the Kickoff is combined with the Career Fair ticket!
I submitted my resume on Hubilo already…how can I update it if I make edits before the Career Fair?
No worries! You can easily edit your profile on Hubilo by selecting your profile icon on the top right corner, the gears button, then ‘Edit Profile’. You can change any field, from your profile picture, to your interests, to your resume!
Why should I attend a Career Fair?
Career fairs are events providing a space for recruiters from a variety of companies and industries and students to network. Career fairs are centered around helping you learn more about different companies and potential opportunities for an internship, full-time position after graduation, or a PEY. Career fairs are also a great opportunity to make an impression and network with recruiters.
What companies will be attending the Career Fair?
For a full list of companies attending the career fair on January 21st, 2022, check out the list of companies here!
How should I prepare for the Career Fair?
Our key tips on how to bring your best self forward for the career fair are:
- Have a shortlist of companies attending you think you may want to work for.
- Prepare a set of thoughtful questions about the company (doing a few minutes of research on the companies by looking at their websites)
- Prepare your resume and elevator pitch for companies
- Come on the day of the event wearing an appropriate top, and make a good impression!
- Be genuine, and be yourself!
- Ensure you get their contact information to open the route for meaningful follow up conversations in the future.
What should I talk about to recruiters? What is a good first question to ask?
Good initial talking points can be: your interest in the company, some information on your experience and how it could translate to working with them, or you can ask about the recruiter’s experience working there. Do have an elevator pitch prepared — your goals and what makes you stand out. You can join us at our Perfect your Pitch event on January 18th to practice and receive advice. The aim is to have an enjoyable conversation not just about yourself, but about the employer and the company too.
Here’s our article on Networking During Career Fairs for you to check out too!
What should I do when companies tell me to apply online?
You can apply online — the career fair will still help you stand out as a candidate when the recruiter is going through resumes. Maybe they’ll even remember you! Plus, it always helps to meet someone at the career fair (or on LinkedIn) who has previously or is currently working at the company. This allows you to learn more about the company culture and work experiences at the company (beyond a description on a job posting!).
What should I expect to get out of the Career Fair?
Go with the mindset to explore different jobs and different industries. Many students, particularly first year students, don’t quite know yet what they want out of their career, so a great starting point is speaking with industry professionals and asking them specific questions about the types of skills they’re looking for!
If you have a role and some target companies in mind, speak to the recruiters at those companies and showcase that you are a great fit for their firm through your elevator pitch.
What should I do after the Career Fair?
Let’s say a company does end of year reviews for the position you want to apply for. Ask yourself: what projects or work could I have done during the year to have gotten an excellent review? This serves as a good starting point to tackle first to gain relevant skills and experiences that the company wants you to have!
Also, if you feel that you’ve had a particularly good conversation with a recruiter, follow up with them (and maybe mention something from the conversation that made you memorable). You can also let them know that you’ve applied for the job posting.
You can also post about your experience on LinkedIn — and feel free to tag You’re Next Career Network!
