By Karen Aney (Staff Writer) – Email
The act of signing over your first-born to pay for tuition can be quite intense, and it doesn’t leave much room for thinking about what exactly it is that you’re paying for. Enter your friendly neighbourhood Cascade – we do your thinking for you! One of the things available to us as students is the Career Centre. Among the services and events they offer are the wildly underutilized career fairs. These are the events that happen two or three times a year – the ones that most of us walk into, grab some free stuff from, and walk out of within about ten minutes. But think about it this way: you’ve already signed over your first-born, why not make it worth it?
For those of you who haven’t hopped on the Career Centre bandwagon yet, they (along with the Student Union Society) held a Summer Job Fair on Wednesday, March 9. Its attendance was better than expected, but for those of you who couldn’t get there, here’s a handy-dandy review.
While there were quite a few groups in attendance, a few stood out as especially good opportunities. First of all, The Cactus Club participated, as they’re opening a new location just off the Mt. Lehman exit sometime this summer. Representatives shared that they’re planning on starting interviews in the next two weeks, and are looking to hire about 150 people. Some employees will be hired on right away to work shifts in Coquitlam or White Rock; this will allow them to become comfortable with the menu/climate so the restaurant is staffed with competent employees when it comes to opening day. Perks to working with the company? Aside from the obscene tips there are to be made, the Cactus Club is experiencing tremendous growth; they are opening three new restaurants this year, and looking to increase that number next year. A growing company means a growing head office, making this an ideal summer job that could progress to something much more in the future.
The SPCA is hiring for quite a few positions. First, they’re hiring summer camp leaders for many different locations, including Abbotsford, Port Coquitlam, Maple Ridge, Surrey, and Vancouver. These positions last six weeks and include time training, working at the camps, and volunteering at the shelters. There is also a supervisory position available; this candidate will supervise the camp leader employees. Additionally, they’re looking for a new Administrative Assistant for the Surrey location. The SPCA practices internal hiring and promoting, so this is a great job to add to your resume if you’re looking for consistency into next summer and beyond.
The Fraser Valley Aboriginal Child and Family Services Society (FVACFSS, to avoid the mouthful) is also looking to fill many different positions. They’re hiring a receptionist for their office in Chilliwack, and are accepting applicants from all majors. They’re also looking for a Family Relations Worker and a Child Protection Social Worker; both these positions require at least some education in the field of social services, and both positions extend beyond the summer. Finally, the FVACFSS will be holding its annual summer camps from June-August, and positions at these camps are open to all students of Aboriginal descent; they can belong to any major as long as they have good communication skills and knowledge of Aboriginal culture. Fun fact: one of the attendees at the recent Arts Degree conference was Shauna Syekla, who is currently employed with the FVACFSS – proof that they like UFV students.
This is merely a brief overview of some of the fantastic jobs available with the companies from the job fair. To find out more about any of these companies or any of the others in attendance, check out the website for the event: http://www.ufv.ca/Jobs/Career_Fair/Career_Fair_Students.htm. Good luck finding a job this summer to earn back your first-born!
