The fall semester is soon ending, but the beginning of this semester saw the ShiftKey Labs team hard at work to bring the 2025 Tech Industry Fair to life. This event brought together companies and organizations from across Canada to showcase the potential of the tech industry and to help students launch their careers.
The fair, which has been taking place since 2023, has brought together new ways to engage students with the industry, including workshops and networking opportunities. Students could also connect with some of the top employers in tech, such as Cognizant, Bell Aliant, CGI, NS Health, and the Canadian Government.
ShiftKey Ambassadors Eyram Amedzor, a Master’s of Computer Science student, and Maggie Brown, a 2nd year Computer Science student, worked with ShiftKey’s Industry Engagement & Career Development Manager, Kewoba Carter, to develop the event. This was Amedzor’s second time supporting it.
As Ambassadors, Amedzor and Brown were instrumental in the event’s design, and contacted and supported employers and student volunteers, while working with the rest of the ShiftKey Team and Dalhousie’s Faculty of Computer Science.
Recognizing the changing job market, the team came up with multiple ideas to support students in developing their soft skills. “We looked at ways we could deliver value to students beyond the traditional job fair,” Amedzor says.
A Chance to Develop Networking Skills
One of these ways was ShiftKey’s Peer-2-Peer Mixer, which happened two weeks before the fair. This event was designed to give students an opportunity to practice their networking skills in a safe environment.
Brown, who hosted the mixer, noticed firsthand how student volunteers and participants used their soft skills knowledge to interact with employers. Compared to the two previous fairs, more students this year made more meaningful connections than just inquiring about jobs. “I think that networking foundation really changed this year,” she says. “And made it more successful for everyone involved.”
The change was clearly noticeable to industry professionals, such as Trihedral, the company behind SCADA software VTScada.
“The response we received from companies regarding the event was overwhelmingly positive. All of us, especially in the morning, were kept talking to students as they came by. A lot of them were really interested in what we’re doing and had good questions for us. I think we all had a lot of good interactions with the students,” says Andrew McKim, Trihedral’s Lead Developer.
Similarly, Agastya Sharma, the Communications Specialist for DeepSense, an AI and ocean tech organization, noticed the same trend.
“I probably talked to hundreds of students, but it was very refreshing to meet so many passionate people,” he says. “It was great to meet so many students who want to join the workforce. It is always inspiring to see so many folks who want to make the most out of their education.”
Insights into How to Stand Out in the Job Market
Many companies at the fair stress that continuing to build functional soft skills and tailoring resumes will lead to students successfully finding jobs.
To work at DeepSense, for example, students should demonstrate their knowledge in AI, machine learning, or other coding skills. “If you want to stand out, it would be beneficial to show us you can complete research projects. Do projects on Kaggle so it gives you a solid foundation in AI/ML and also develop your science communication skills,” Sharma says.
Completing projects or challenging coursework is also what Trihedral looks for in recent grads. Trihedral’s Chief Technology Officer, Devraj Sen, states that the company uses and develops new technology to solve complex issues, so enjoying challenges is crucial in getting hired.
“We are looking for people who are bright and who enjoy a challenge. It is challenging work. You’re not going to come in every day and know exactly what you have to do. It’s a lot like university research. You have to do your research. You have to re-learn a new technology. You have to develop it. You have to make it successful,” he says.
Working on events like these as an employee or a volunteer can help students make connections and boost their resumes. While working at the fair last year, Amedzor sparked up a conversation with one of the patrons. At the time, he didn’t know that the person he was speaking with was a Ubisoft employee. “I got to learn more about Ubisoft, and a few weeks later, we ended up going to Ubisoft…And then I also joined Ubisoft as a beta game tester,” he says.
To grab employers’ attention, Sen suggests that students “sell themselves” on their resumes. “What you do in your spare time, which relates to technology, and you can really draw attention to the employer saying that ‘OK, this sets the candidate apart from all the other resumes,’” he continues. “Students should want to showcase the strong foundation in computer science that they are learning from their program.”
Supporting Students Through ShiftKey Programming
Although students can tailor their resumes and network, finding a job can be difficult. For many, it can often feel isolating and frustrating when applications don’t turn into interviews and when interviews don’t turn into employment offers. However, building connections with industry partners in attendance can and will carry students far in their job searches.
“The job market is, especially for Computer Science, getting very competitive, and it’s getting really tough. I encourage all [students] to put their best foot forward,” Amedzor says and hopes that new post-secondary students take the opportunity to attend ShiftKey programming, like the career fair, to put themselves out there.
ShiftKey is well aware of the challenges that many students are facing in the job market. To support these students with soft skills, resume building, networking, and upskilling in tech, ShiftKey has a cohesive set of events and programming.
Through Industry Showcases, students can connect with industry professionals to not only understand what companies do but also how to stand out to them on their resumes. ShiftKey also partners with companies like Cognizant to give students a glimpse into the many ways they can use their tech experience in the field.
To build the necessary tech skills that many employers look for, students can upskill by taking an Academy UP course to earn a certificate in concepts like game development and cybersecurity, or one of the many workshops ShiftKey hosts throughout the year.
To learn more about and sign up for future events, students can click here.
