2008年03月01日 JOB FAIR 2008

Job Fair 2008: A support event for Japanese students seeking employment.

Job fair held in Victoria

Co-sponsored by the Victoria Chapter of the Japan-Canada Chamber of Commerce and Industry / UVIC Job Hunting Club

Location: University of Victoria

Date and time: March 1, 2008 (Sat) 11:00-15:00

On March 1st, a job fair was held at Victoria University, co-sponsored by the Japan-Canada Chamber of Commerce and the Victoria University Job Fair Club. Among the participating students, there were Japanese students as well as students from other countries.

This job fair for international students was a valuable employment support event that targeted not only students who wanted to work in Japan, but also those who wished to work in Canada. We were pleased to receive positive feedback from participants who found the event to be very informative. The event was divided into two parts: the first part featured presentations on employment information in Canada, immigration and visa information, and the second part featured presentations on the Japanese labor market and important points to keep in mind when job hunting.

Following an opening speech by JOB guest speaker Harry Broy, MLA Burkitram, the first part of the presentations began with Terry Kim, Director of ABIC Immigration & Visa, who spoke about strategic work visas and how to obtain permanent residency. Irene Luney from the Department for Economic Development provided information that is usually difficult to obtain, such as eligibility requirements and application procedures for the BC PNP (Provincial Nominee Program). Finally, the University of Victoria's Co-op Education Program explained the job application process and post-employment benefits of participating in the Co-op Program.

While the first part of the program was conducted entirely in English, the second part featured presentations entirely in Japanese. Leading the second part was Mr. Nagakatsu Hiroshi from Talent Canada. His presentation, which covered job information for Japanese people and how to write a resume in Canada, was lively and easy to understand, and received high praise from the participating students who found it very easy to follow.

In the second part, life coach Scott Moncrief Chihori spoke not only about job hunting information, but also about how to cope with various problems such as losing confidence during job hunting and identity crises during long periods of studying abroad, as well as about mental health care.

To conclude the event, Mr. Ikuo Nomura from Mynavi International Job Placement, who participated from Tokyo, gave an important talk for students hoping to work in Japan, covering topics such as Japanese employment trends and advice for international students' job hunting. The students' earnest attitude was evident during the subsequent Q&A session.

Although the number of participants was lower than initially expected, many people commented that the job fair was substantial and informative. In addition, booths from participating companies, organizations, and sponsoring companies offered activities such as drink tastings and trial nail art.

We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to all the companies, organizations, and sponsors who participated in JOB FAIR.

Report by: Atsuko Umeki, Japan-Canada Chamber of Commerce

Participating Companies & Organizations