University of Toronto Career Centre – April 27th (Toronto, ON)

Will I Get a Job? Students Perspectives on Career Development & Careers
More than ever, education choices are tied to job prospects and career decisions.  Whether it’s concerns about high tuition and paying off debt, developing a solid resume full of valuable credentials, achieving career fulfilment, or meeting parental expectations regarding career plans, the ability of post-secondary institutions to “get me a job” has become a focus for most students.

This presentation will provide results from Canada’s most comprehensive research study of post-secondary students’ career interests and aspirations, the annual From Learning to Work Report, which has captured responses from more than 150,000 students over the past eight years.

Drawing on twenty years of experience working with Canada’s major employers of new graduates and consulting to campus career and co-op centres, Graham Donald will discuss students’ perspectives on career development as well as employers’ expectations and interests. He will look at students’ interests and discuss the most effective ways to connect with them. He will also discuss many of the key attributes that define today’s generation and how they want career development and job search support delivered.

Strategic Enrolment Marketing & Management (SEMM) Forum – May 3rd (Toronto, ON)

The Bottom Line is: Will I Get a Job? Connecting Career Considerations to Enrolment Decision-Making
More than ever, education choices are tied to job prospects and career decisions.  Whether it’s concerns about high tuition and paying off debt, developing a solid resume full of valuable credentials or meeting parental pressure regarding career expectations, the ability of post-secondary institutions to “get me a job” has become the focus for most students.
While no institution can guarantee a great job, many are failing to adequately understand and address students’ career considerations. This presentation will provide results from Canada’s most comprehensive research study of post-secondary students’ career interests and aspirations, the From Learning to Work Report.  Drawing on twenty years of experience working with Canada’s major employers of new graduates and consulting to campus career and co-op centres, Graham Donald, will discuss the importance of career prospects and career development support as part of both student recruitment and retention.
Graham will also share key insights into how students gather information about careers and who influences their decision, how they view various industries and employers and what they expect from co-op programs and campus career services.  Learn how to make career development support, cooperative education and internship programs and other career-related services an important factor in your student marketing and retention.

Campus Recruiting Forum – May 10 (Vancouver, BC) & May 15 (Toronto, ON)

Canada’s Top Campus Employers: And How to Become One!
Who are the top-ranked employers of students in Canada?
More importantly, what does it take to become one?
Whether or not your goal is to join the top rankings, the research behind the Canada’s Top Campus Employers Report reveals dozens of key findings and recommendations that will enable you to connect more effectively with prospective candidates, improve your brand image and make your opportunities far more attractive.
Join one of the report’s co-authors, Graham Donald, as he shares insights based on research that has engaged more than 150,000 university and college students over the past eight years.
This exclusive feature presentation will explore a wide range of topics, including:
•    How and where students learn about employers
•    Who influences students’ career decisions
•    How mobile technology is affecting the job search
•    Expectations of co-op and internship placements
•    Challenges of connecting with diversity students
•    How students are using social media
•    Students’ salary expectations
•    And much more!

Canadian Association of Career Educators and Employers (CACEE) National Conference – June 3rd – 6th (Quebec City, QC)

Campus Outlook 2012
The President of Brainstorm Strategy Group and the Executive Director of CACEE will co-present this update on trends, innovations and practices that will affect how you attract and hire students in the immediate future.

Participants will benefit from two distinct perspectives: students and employers. Drawing highlights from the 2011 Canada’s Top Campus Employers Report (which focuses on the student point-of-view) and the 2011 Campus Recruitment and Benchmark Report (which summarizes the employer perspective) the presenters will provide the current lay of the land. This will include a look at key communication channels, social media use, the evolving profile of Gen Y, hiring trends, campus promotions, employer rankings and much more.

Career Development On Campus – What’s Happening Now? What’s Next?
It’s time to rethink tomorrow. Financial constraints, a shifting job market, new student demands and changing institutional priorities have changed the face of campus career development. In recent years, some campuses have overhauled their entire approach to career development: from launching student success centres, to implementing new technologies, expanding experiential programs, emphasizing employer relations and a growing focus on social media.

These are all just a few of the changes we’ve seen lately. But the question on everyone’s mind is: what’s next?

This presentation will feature highlights from a new research report on Canadian campus career development.  Alongside presenting key statistics about resources available on campus, the report will also share insights in the mood and opinions of career development leaders.  Join the debate about your future!

National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Global Campus Recruitment Symposium – June 11th (Las Vegas, NV)

Recruiting in Canada
Whether you’ve been tasked with student hiring for your Canadian operations or asked to source talent north of the border for roles in the United States, there are important differences and key success factors that can make or break your program.

Take part and learn the fundamentals you need to avoid unnecessary mistakes and adapt your strategy to the Canadian market—including target campus selection; career interests and aspirations of Canada’s Gen Y; hiring outlook and competition; marketing media and other keys to developing a successful strategy for hiring north of the border.

National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) 2012 Conference & Expo – June 12th – 15th (Las Vegas, NV)

Getting Started with Strategic Planning
Take control of the future with a clear, simple strategic plan. Whether you are an employer responsible for effective hiring programs or a career services leader driving improvements, a plan will provide you with the clarity, benchmarks and buy-in necessary to take your success to the next level. In the past few years, some career offices have grown with expanded budgets while others have lost resources and even some of their core functions. At the same time, employers have seen huge fluctuations in hiring and new approaches to college recruiting.

A clear strategic plan declares your intentions for yourself, your colleagues, your senior management and all of your stakeholders. It greatly enhances your chances of attracting resources and operating under the right measures. In this workshop, Graham Donald will draw on his experience of guiding dozens of organizations through the strategic planning process and provide participants with the concepts and insights they need to get started on transforming their own future today. Participants will even work on drafting a new mission statement