Lisa Pendergast

On Oct. 4, 2000, approximately 200 students made their way to the Holiday Inn to speak with 10-15 vendors who were mostly in the oil and gas industry. Twenty-five years later, students are able to get their LinkedIn photo taken on site and scan a QR code to learn about many of the 110+ exhibitors in a variety of industries around the world.

Don’t miss the Career and Graduate School Fair, taking place at the Field House, free of charge, on Wednesday, Sept. 25, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit our website to see a list of exhibitors and learn great tips to prepare for the Career Fair.

There are opportunities to speak with employers, organizations, government agencies and post-secondary institutions from across North America.

A brief history

In 25 years, the Career Fair has developed significantly, outgrowing several venues such as the Holiday Inn and the Phys Ed Gym at Memorial. The number of exhibitors has increased tenfold, along with the number of student and alumni attendees.

The continuing success of the Career Fair is due in no small part to the dedicated employees who have coordinated this event over the years – most who are still enjoying careers at Memorial University.

Michelle Honeygold, assistant registrar, Office of the Registrar, began her career at Memorial University in the then Department of Career Development and Experiential Learning (CDEL). In 2000, as part of her IT Diploma through the Division of Lifelong Learning, she took an internship as career fair coordinator.

“My role was to organize the university’s first Career Fair for students and recent graduates,” said Ms. Honeygold. “Career fairs were growing in popularity in universities and colleges throughout the country in the technology boom of the late 90s. Our goals in the first year were to build awareness of the event with our employer partners, students and graduates and to offer a positive, rewarding experience for all involved.”

In January 2002, Lynn Walsh, manager, Internationalization Office at Memorial, started at the Centre for Career Development (CCD), as graduate recruitment officer and then moved into a role focusing on new graduates and employer connections.

“I worked with Chris Hounsell for many years – great friend and colleague – and we co-ordinated the fair from 2002-11,” said Ms. Walsh. “We would all volunteer the night before and day of to help out in whatever way was needed with the goal to grow student awareness about employment possibilities in our province and throughout Canada. We decided to add various grad and professional school programs, as well.”

Chris Hounsell, database administrator, Office of Development and Alumni Engagement, began his career at Memorial in August 2002 as a career advisor with CCD until 2011. However, his first introduction to the Career Fair was in 2001 when he was hired as a work term student by the Co-operative Education Services Centre, which reported to the same director that oversaw CCD, the late Dr. Rob Shea.

“I took over the Career Fair lead in its second or third year as a part of my work term. The promotion had already started and there were 10-15 employers registered to come for that year,” said Mr. Hounsell. “It makes be very happy to see this programming still going today and impacting lives. There are many things I’m proud to have been a part of at Memorial, but this ranks in the top tier for sure.”

As the Career Fair continued to expand, College of the North Atlantic (CNA) became a valued partner. Together, they offer a comprehensive career and graduate school event for students and alumni that also provides them a direct connection with exhibitors to discuss their employment and education needs, or help with career direction. At the same time, showing exhibitors all that this generation of students has to offer the labour force.

Future of career services

What can students expect for the future of their career planning at Memorial? Danielle Jackson, manager, Career Development, discusses how the office is continually looking to both build strong partnerships with employers and offer innovative programming and tools to students.

“Our goal is to help our students understand themselves, understand the labour market, and make informed decisions about their future career plans,” said Ms. Jackson. “Through offerings like Design your Life, the Strong Interest Inventory, Gallup’s Strengthsfinder and InStage - an AI mock interview software – our staff are equipped to support students in all areas of their career exploration and planning. These innovations aim to enhance the career readiness of our students, making the transition from education to the workforce more seamless and effective.” 

Keep checking the website for exciting updates on these events and programs. You can also follow Memorial University – Career Development Office on LinkedIn for career planning and programming, resume clinics, on/off campus job postings, networking, employer connections and more!