Engineering students gathered to bulk up their LinkedIn profiles and form new connections at the UBC Applied Science Co-op Networking Reception on January 26.
Featuring free dinner and representatives from 46 businesses supporting the co-op program, the aim of the reception dinner was to connect co-op students from the Faculty of Applied Science with top employers. This event is one of two major networking events hosted by the program, with another reception taking place at UBCO the week before, and is the first in-person Applied Science Co-op Networking Reception in two years.
According to Applied Science Senior Manager of Business Development and Employer Engagement Jennifer Syrnyk, in the age of LinkedIn profiles and business cards, these events help students to better get to know potential employers and “hopefully leave a lasting impression in person.”
“It’s hard to be able to put a face to a name when you’re the size of a postage stamp on a screen,” she said.
The UBC Applied Science Co-op Program is the largest of its kind in Western Canada and gives its cohort of nearly 3,000 undergraduate and postgraduate engineering students the opportunity to gain work experience through hundreds of potential employers. According to Syrnyk, co-op allows students to “test drive different employers and different industries,” as they develop invaluable workplace skills and experience.
Second-year mechanical engineering student Robbie Baker already has his upcoming work term arranged but found this event valuable for establishing relationships with potential future employers and finding a company that best aligns with his values.
“I’m hoping to bridge some connections and then I’m hoping to build some meaningful relationships with companies,” he said. “I’m really looking for a company that is going to help me get from point A to point B and will help me figure out what I want to do with my career and help me get started.”
Employers present at the event have long hired co-op students from the Applied Science Co-op Program, according to Syrnyk. Among them is UBC geological engineering alum and current intermediate geological engineer at BGC Engineering Inc. Olina Meaker.
When asked how students can best prepare for networking events, Meaker emphasized the value of asking the right questions.
“I want to understand as a recruiter how you think so that I can see whether or not you’ll fit in with your project teams: so how do you think, what types of questions are you asking, what are you curious about and primarily, what are you passionate about?” she said.
Baker said at events such as this one, it is important for him to determine whether employers are “forward-thinking” and green-focused.
“It’s really exciting to see what [these employers] do, why they’re passionate about it and if I have the same passion for it,” he said.
Prospective and existing co-op students can look forward to another networking social that will be hosted by the UBC Engineering Undergraduate Society 2023 Career Fair from February 8–9. Syrnyk encouraged students to attend and build connections with potential employers.
“The opportunity for students to make as many connections during their degree is probably one of the most important things they can do while studying,” she said.
“[They] will have these connections long after they graduate.”