Welcome back to Professional Perspective where industry professionals share their insights regarding various employment related topics!

We have Cathy Lund, Senior Campus Recruiter at RBC, answering today’s question. Cathy’s professional perspective comes from an amazing career that began in client facing sales roles and quickly evolved into leadership and human resource roles, recruiting and matching top talent with opportunities for rewarding experiences at RBC.

Today’s question is:

What would you encourage students to do to increase their chances of securing employment as they are nearing graduation or summer break?

Cathy’s Professional Perspective

Social Media
“I would encourage students to do their research on social media: LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and explore a variety of roles that a company is posting. It makes for better conversations and resume building.”

Get your tech savvy and social media accounts to give you a boost in your job search, as Cathy suggests. A company’s post can reveal what they are looking for, what they value and what they are currently involved in. Use this information to learn more about the company. And when you are ready to reach out, use this knowledge to show interest in the company and customize your self-marketing tools.

Work Exposure
“Engage in co-ops, internships or summer jobs to build competence and organizational awareness.”

Success is 10% inspiration, 90% perspiration. Cliché? Perhaps, but it rings true when Cathy recommends to take the time to get to know the business and the industry by getting involved. Use every opportunity with employers to build credibility, demonstrate a strong work ethic to earn yourself employability points for when you are vying for that dream job.

Informational Interviews
“Informational interviews are GOLD. Where else can you ask a person anything and find out if this is the right company or role for you before you are put on the spot during an interview?”

Need we say more?

Cathy adds, “10K Coffees is an emerging resource for students where they can login and connect with professionals and other students working for the company and request information interviews. Although there are many other companies participating, the RBC student hub is https://www.tenthousandcoffees.com/hub/rbc4studentscareers Code: rbccampus”

As a professional recruiter, Cathy is a wealth of information on what you can do to increase your chances of securing employment. If you would like tap into more of her knowledge, Cathy will be at the Notre Dame Campus on March 14, 2017 to talk about the Summer Internship Program, Aboriginal Summer Internship Program and new graduate opportunities at RBC.

Click here for more information and to register:
Employer on-Campus: Inspirational Career Journeys for Students @ RBC

For additional job searching tips, visit Student Employment Services’ Online Employment Resources or book an appointment with an RRC Employment Advisor at 204.632.3966 or JobCentre@rrc.ca.