Our Halifax-based Employer Development Manager, Ayse Dai-Gammon, talks about the connections she’s made and initiatives she’s been a part of this fall and the unique engagement opportunities she’s excited about this winter.

As we approach the tail end of 2015, I’m able to reflect on another busy fall recruitment season full of great employer development and talent recruitment outcomes. Although most of our major fall recruitment events happen every year, we at Management Career Services always find new ways to enhance the experience for both employers and students.

We kicked off the semester with the Corporate Residency MBA Interview Day which saw 23 employers (10 of which were new employer partners) participate in the event. The lead up to Interview Day is always full of anticipation:   from the portfolio of candidates employers receive in late July, to the live elevator pitches and Corporate Networking Reception that takes place before, our CRMBA students are eager to impress and the feedback we receive from our employer guests consistently reflects that they are impressed too. This year, we were able to follow three employers and three students through the Interview Day experience which will result in a new promotional video coming in early 2016 – I’ll be anxious to share that with you in the next issue of Management Connections!

Career Discovery Days is the title we give to the extensive lineup of employer information sessions, networking events, panel discussions and workshops that take place in September and October. This fall, thanks to the incredible presence of our employer partners on campus, we were able to offer over 40 events, with representation from companies that spanned a wide range of industries. Our Finance, Accounting, and Marketing networking events were particularly popular and resulted in a full house each night. This year, we added a Marketing employer panel which was very well received by our students.

New this fall was a Partnership Appreciation Event that combined our annual gathering of 2015 C3 Mentoring Program participants with the 2015 Workplace Experience Program participants. Not only did our guests enjoy a great opportunity to network but it gave us and our students a chance to express our gratitude for the mentorship, sponsorship, and positive impact that the employers involved had on the careers – and lives – of these business undergrads. It was a very special night indeed.

I also had the pleasure of attending a number of great industry events this fall including: the Atlantic Canada Campus Recruitment Summit in September; The Innovacorp Student and Start-Up Meet ‘n Greet we co-organized with Innovacorp Group in October; and in November the Halifax Chamber of Commerce Fall Dinner and recent launch of Halifax Partnership’s Game Changers Action Plan – just to name a few! It’s very exciting to see the increasing collaboration and momentum to take action in offering meaningful co-op and recent graduate opportunities that will keep our young and talented workforce in Atlantic Canada.

These are just a few of the highlights from my employer development activities this fall. It leaves me feeling energized and encouraged about the promise that 2016 holds for our employers and students. If the recruitment events and opportunities described above strike a chord with you, or if you’d like to explore recruitment solutions for the New Year, please feel free to get in touch with me by phone at (902) 494-4583 or at ayse.gammon@dal.ca.