By Taylor Breckles (The Cascade) – Email
Print Edition: March 19, 2014
Who needs a job when there’s free food?
UFV career centre’s biennial Career Fair held on March 12 was an opportunity for students and employers to meet in order to discuss potential employment; but many students gathered for the free food instead.
One student commented that the chocolate-covered strawberries were delicious and that they were disappearing quickly, as their only response to how they felt the event was going. Many students were also fascinated by the cotton candy cart set up outside of Tim Hortons, exclaiming that free food is certain to brighten anyone’s day.
Sixty-one employers were present at the event to provide university students with information and networking opportunities, yet many students spoke only of the free samples.
In addition to providing an opportunity to meet with employers, the Career Fair also had a draw for two tuition credits and a tablet, which was drawn from the 1000 students that passed through the fair over its three-and-a-half hours.
Working while attending university has become very normal among students. Thanks to the Career Fair, many of those students were able to search for jobs in an organized manner with an opportune location.
Held in the Envision Athletic Centre, employers from all types of businesses came out to meet with future prospects and possibly walk away with a few new employees.
BCAA, the Abbotsford School District, Envision, and the Canadian Cancer Society were among the businesses in attendance. Although there was no private interview area this year, employers still had opportunities to chat with students.
Many of the business booths had high interest, such as Home Depot and Envision, while others saw less traffic.
Some enticed students with pens (after all, what university student can’t use another pen?) and brochures, while Home Depot gave away miniature orange hammers as well, which were a crowd-pleaser. Other employers had neither pens nor hammers, but instead used enthusiastic employees to wrangle students.
However, food appeared to be the biggest draw for students. With a spread including a multitude of desserts and finger-foods, several students stopped by the food table provided by the Career Centre to have a nibble and perhaps wander into the fair.
