By Amy St. Amand
The Nîsôhkamâtotân Centre, in collaboration with NAIT Career Services, is hosting a virtual career fair for First Nation (Status & Non-Status), Metis, and Inuit (FNMI) students. The career fair returns virtually after a two-year hiatus. Students can attend the fair on January 20th from 10am to 2pm via Career Connect. Some of the confirmed employers include KPMG, Nutrien, PCL Construction, S.i. Systems, Government of Canada, Interior Health, and many more.
The event is open to all NAIT students, but employers in attendance are specifically looking to fill roles for FNMI students. There is a “big push to hire Indigenous people” who are “historically…an excluded population,” said Dawn Lameman, who works as Nîsôhkamâtotân Centre support. Lameman explained that often times roles like these go unfilled because “people simply don’t know to apply.”
Students do not need to prepare anything for the workshop, but Nîsôhkamâtotân is offering workshops on January 12th and 13th for students who have questions. At these sessions, students can learn about the event and what to expect, as well as receive advice about what to wear, online etiquette, and what questions to ask and expect from employers.
Lameman also said that although interviews could happen at the career fair, students can also expect to gain valuable career advice from professionals in their industry. Employers have been instructed to expect questions such as, “What can I do better next time?” and “How can I improve my resume?”
To receive more information about the virtual career fair, visit https://www.nait.ca/virtualcareerfair or email Dawn Lameman at dawnl@nait.ca or Cindy Bustamante at employerservices@nait.ca.
