Top reasons to participate in the 2016 “You’re Hired!” Interview Competition!

November 24, 2015 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Do you want the opportunity to develp your communication skills and expand your professional network? Take a look at why past student participants think YOU should get involved with the 2016 “You’re Hired!” Interview Competition!

1) Gain feedback from professionals – Helena Booth, Bachelor of Commerce

“I though this competition was a really good opportunity to gain feedback and insight on how I could improve my interview skills when applying for co-ops and post graduation positions. I was able to really network. I gained connections with two recruiters from different companies and set up an informational interview with one of them, which really helped me apply the skills that I learned from the Interview Competition to real world experience.”

2) Better understand what makes a good interview candidate – Yasmine Babaei, Bachelor of Commerce

“The Scotiabank Interview Competition helped me understand what to expect when going into an interview and what employers are looking for in a good candidate. It’s an amazing opportunity, I would definitely recommend that everyone participate, especially first year students.”

3) Gain interview experience by competing with other studnets – Nicholas Rodrigues, Bachelor of Commerce

“Having the opportunity to improve your interview skills, network with employers, and compete with your peers makes the Scotiabank “You’re Hired” Interview Competition an experience any competitive student must take part in. Competing as a first year student means great exposure and preparation for upcoming co-op terms. I would recommend the competition to anyone who wants to better understand the interview process.”

4) Learn how to pitch your value to employers – Gurjot Kalra, Bachelor of Commerce

“Being able to effectively talk about yourself is a skill that every job seeker needs. I participated in the “You’re Hired” Interview Competition in my first year. It was a great way to get interview experience with real employers and it forced me to learn how to effectively pitch who I am. It is a great learning experience but also a good way to get to know both your peers and potential employers. If you get the chance, I highly recommend participating in the “You’re Hired” Interview Competition.”

5) Gain confidence – Pengpeng Jiang, Bachelor of Commerce

“As an international student, the Interview Competition helped me to not be scared during an interview and helped me overcome the feeling of not being good enough or not having enough skills due to cultural barriers. I feel that the Scotiabank Interview Competition is the best professional development experience I’ve had since I arrived in Canada.”

6) Network with professionals – Callahan Murphy, Bachelor of Management

“When I participated in my first year of university, I was really looking for any opportunity I could get involved in to really expand on my skill set. When I participated for the second time, I wanted to build my professional network connections and my interview capabilities. I just can’t recommend the Interview Competition enough for any student, whether you’re in your first year or your last year.”

Want to hear more from past participants? Check out the 2016 “You’re Hired!” Interview Competition YouTube video!

Danielle Skuy: Student Spotlight

November 18, 2014 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

Danielle Skuy is a second year Commerce student who was a finalist in last year’s You’re Hired Interview Competition. As a first year student participating in the competition, Danielle was diligent in her preparation and offers some advice on how to prepare an elevator pitch for the second round of the competition:

“Memorize your elevator pitch, then practice in the mirror and try to make your memorized pitch sound conversational so you do not sound like a broken record. Remember to be yourself; I loved giving the elevator pitches and I loved making the judges laugh. ”

Beyond reaching the final round and participating in a live interview with representatives from Scotiabank, Danielle claims the experience she had during the Interview Competition was something that helped her secure her first co-op work term:

“I think a large part of the reason that I got the first co-op position I interviewed for is because of how the Interview Competition prepared me. Once you interview for a job in front of a room of people while being filmed, regular interviews are a breeze.”

Danielle also offered some encouraging advice to students who are unsure if they should register for this year’s competition:

“Compete! You are going to spend the rest of your life interviewing, but you will not always get the chance to receive constructive feedback. It was so much fun and learning how to interview truly is a learned skill that takes practice. My advice is to go for it- especially if you are in your first year. It is excellent practice for co-op interviews.”

Visit dal.ca/mcs for more information on how to apply to the 10^th Anniversary You’re Hired Interview Competition. Registration closes on January 9^th!

You’re Hired! Dalhousie Finalists

March 12, 2014 Management Career Services Leave a Comment

The You’re Hired! Interview Competition has wrapped up for another year. Dalhousie’s finalists were Lindsay Proudfoot, fourth year Commerce student who landed in third place, and Danielle Skuy, first year Commerce student who scored second place.

We asked Lindsay and Danielle about how they prepared for the competition, what they felt set them apart from the other competitors, and what advice they had for students who may be considering competing in future interview competitions.

Lindsay in round two of the competition.

How did you prepare for the competition?

Lindsay felt that she had been preparing for the past five years for this competition! She completed three work terms at Scotiabank and she prepared for You’re Hired! by going over her work term reports from these co-ops. She also did further research on Scotiabank, consolidated her skills, and focused on behavioural questions. Lindsay noted that the preparation for the competition differed from a real job interview because she felt it focused on behavioural questions more so than highlighting specific skill sets for a particular job.

Danielle used the ‘STAR’ approach (Situation, Task, Action, and Result) for the interview stage of the competition, and she related the results portion of her answers directly to the job posting. She felt that she was able to use this approach to show how the results would benefit the company. Danielle found the situational question most challenging. Her advice to other students is to take a risk by not always making the safe response or always giving the answer you think they want.

Danielle’s preparation for the finals involved more research on Scotiabank, the banking industry, and fine tuning her STAR answers so that they were clear and concise. She also asked her mom for some guidance.

Danielle in round two of the competition.

What set you apart from the other contestants?

Lindsay reflected that her previous work term experience helped to set her apart from the competition. Her unique work term experiences and the research she did on banking trends and financial information about Scotiabank were helpful to her. Lindsay believed the elevator pitch portion of the competition and the feedback she received was very beneficial. She was mindful of the time limit for the elevator pitch, and she advocated having a strong finish even if it meant finishing with a second to spare.

Danielle credited the elevator pitches as setting her apart from the other contestants. Danielle was well prepared; she studied the job description and connected the job characteristics with obvious traits and skills that would be beneficial. She also focused on her international experience and language skills which connected with the international scope of Scotiabank’s global business presence in over 50 countries.

Danielle receives her award from Bruce Smith and Craig Thompson of Scotiabank.

What advice do you have for other students who may consider entering next year’s You’re Hired! competition?

Lindsay advises that connecting your experience with a required skill is important, and she feels that it is equally important to show your personality.

“The Interview Competition is the optimal way to build your professional network and gain insight into how to differentiate yourself in the interview process. The judges are eager to give you feedback and answer your questions. Overall, a very rewarding learning experience. No matter what, you’ll come out with a valuable learning experience and maybe a few business cards.”

Danielle thinks that students who are considering an interview competition should “go for it.” She received some great feedback, and she encourages other students to take advantage of it!

Lindsay receives her award from Bruce Smith and Craig Thompson of Scotiabank.

Our Year at a Glance – Connecting you with the best, the brightest and most capable new talent!

December 13, 2011 Tanysha James

We realize you are looking for the best, the brightest, and the most capable employees to fill your needs. We also know that recruitment strategies can be “routine” at times. Management Career Services offers excitement to the process through the events we offer.

Tap the Talent

Tap the Talent is an interactive event, taking place in September of each year, that connects you to undergraduate and graduate students with career interests in marketing, sales and business management. The plethora of talent is made visible in an event booklet of profiles and resumes of all the participating students. From this booklet you can pre-select candidates for interviews in advance of the event.

On the day of the event, students will have one more opportunity to sell themselves through the oral presentation of their one-minute elevator pitches. If other students impress you, and we are sure they will, you will be given the chance to choose “Wild Cards” to be added to your interview list for the day.

For more information on this event, contact our Marketing Career and Recruitment Specialist, Jonathan Perry at Jonathan.Perry@Dal.ca or (902) 494-6936.

Corporate Tours

This unique recruitment and networking opportunity offers current and recently graduated students three Canadian tours in both the private and public sectors. Corporate tours give your organization a chance to provide potential future employees an inside perspective of your organizations’ work, along with your values and culture. Essentially, we bring the talent to you!

Corporate tours serve as an excellent way to scout new talent while in the comfort of your office. They give you a chance to engage with students who might not otherwise consider your organization while also evaluating our talented students through networking. During the visit, we provide profile books containing profiles and resumes of each student for your review. Locations typically include the Toronto and Calgary tour offered in April/May and the Ottawa tour offered in December.

For more information on this event, contact our Marketing Career and Recruitment Specialist, Jonathan Perry at Jonathan.Perry@Dal.ca or (902) 494-6936.

Super Wednesday

Super Wednesday provides you with the opportunity to recruit the best and brightest students geared toward a career in the Finance Industry. Taking place in September of each year, this event easily connects you with upper-year undergraduate and graduate students with a time-saving structure that brings quality applicants to the surface.

Similar in structure to our Tap the Talent event, interview selection begins when you receive the profile book containing profiles and resumes of participating students. On the Wednesday of the event, you will deliver a quick pitch to our students, drawing further interest in your organization, after which you will then examine the caliber of our students as they give their one-minute elevator pitches. Once you have evaluated our students, you may then select “wild card” candidates to add to your interview list.

For more information on this event, contact our Financial Services Career and Recruitment Specialist, Lori Bauld at Lori.Bauld@Dal.ca or (902) 494-7548.

Scotiabank Interview Competition

The Scotiabank Interview Competition involves your assistance with the development of our students, and provides you with early exposure to highly engaged students. Each November, since 2006, students join this event to develop their interview skills, learn from their peers and network with employers.

In this experiential learning opportunity, students present their elevator pitches and interviewing skills to you in hopes of building a network and receiving advice that will help them develop skills that can be used to gain a career in your organization. You have the unique ability to relay to students exactly what can help them reach their career goals as well as scope fresh talent while networking with participants. The event is a learning process for our students and gives them a chance to win some money and a potential job!

The panel of employer interviewers included representatives from Scotiabank and a number of organizations who were all extremely impressed with the caliber of students in this year’s competition. In fact, the first place was a tie between Dalhousie students; Michael Parcon (MBA) and Daniel Bartek (BComm) with Carrie Qi (Saint Mary’s University) close behind in second place.

For more information on this event, contact our Financial Services Career and Recruitment Specialist, Lori Bauld at Lori.Bauld@Dal.ca or (902) 494-7548.

Accounting Society Event

Management Career Services along with the Accounting Society starts the new school year each September by inviting you to Dalhousie to scout our talent! This is your chance to draw students to your organization for co-op and graduate recruitment. Event sponsors have the opportunity to participate in panel discussions where they can speak to accounting students about career paths in their companies, and openly answer questions from students in the audience.

Following the panel discussion, we host a networking event for all employers and students. This networking session is filled with representatives from over 20 different organizations. You will be provided the opportunity to speak one-on-one with students, making those first connections that are so critical in securing future talent.

For more information on this event, contact our Financial Services Career and Recruitment Specialist, Lori Bauld at Lori.Bauld@Dal.ca or (902) 494-7548.

Archives for Interview Competition

Tap the Talent

Corporate Tours

Super Wednesday

Scotiabank Interview Competition

Accounting Society Event