10 Networking Events to Help Build Your Career

Attending networking events as an undergraduate student can serve as a first step toward building your professional career. Whether you meet a company employee, manager, recruiter or CEO, each person can be an asset in building your career. 

Networking events can have multiple benefits for students, such as:
•    Gaining knowledge from experienced professionals in your field
•    Developing effective communication skills
•    Gaining more visibility as you build your career
•    Having access to numerous job opportunities
•    Getting out of your comfort zone and gaining confidence

Also, networking allows you to meet new contacts who may eventually become:
•    Your colleagues
•    Your next business partners
•    Investors in your startup
•    Life-long friends
•    And many more

The more people you meet, the more your network expands. In the right circumstances, someone may give your contact information to another person who could benefit from your expertise. Similarly, if you need help with a project, networking gives you a pool of contacts to choose from.

Commerce Networking Events for Students in Ottawa

As an undergraduate student, networking is essential to building your professional circle early on. After completing your bachelor’s degree, you will already have an established network and people that can help you find a job after graduation!

Many events are tailored for students in commerce at the University of Ottawa. Whether an internal, external, club or association event, students have many opportunities to expand their network throughout their studies. 

Internal Events

Telfer Connects

The annual networking event called Telfer Connects invites third-year and fourth-year students to meet professionals from different industries. Most of these students are approaching the end of their undergraduate studies, ready to find a job.
Telfer Connects takes place in September at the beginning of the school year. The event allows students to meet employers looking for recent graduates to fill some of their positions. They can also chat with a Career Centre counselor and get feedback on their resumés.

Telfer Networks

Other events are tailored to Telfer students in general, such as Telfer Networks. The event takes place every year in January. It connects undergraduate students with employers looking for new talent in different positions: summer, contract, full-time or part-time.

Students enrolled in the Telfer CO-OP program can even find a placement for their next work semester. The event also allows first-year students to start building their network and connect with some companies in their field of study.

External Events

uOttawa Part-Time Job Fair 

Annually, the University of Ottawa organizes many job and career fairs across the different faculties. Open to students from all programs and faculties, the University of Ottawa hosts the Part-Time Job Fair. The fair aims to connect uOttawa students with professionals from various industries. The job fair introduces them to employers and provides endless opportunities to land that dream job in your field of study.

uOttawa Career Fair

Another event organized by uOttawa is the Career Fair. Just like the Part-Time Job Fair, you get a chance to expand your network by meeting professionals and other students from your program. By attending this fair, you can find summer work, full-time employment or volunteer opportunities.

Club and Association Events 

CASCO Annual Gala

CASCO is a charitable organization run by Telfer students. Every activity the students organize benefits the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). During the school year, CASCO organizes many events to raise funds for CHEO. 

Among these events is the Annual Gala. Every year, students of the organization prepare an event to showcase different talents such as dancing and singing. As the capstone event of the organization, it has helped raise over $800,000 for CHEO.

Telfer Accounting Club Annual Wine & Cheese

The Telfer Accounting Club is a not-for-profit organization led by students. It aims to promote the accounting option of the Bachelor of Commerce program. The club’s mission is “to promote the social, academic, and professional development of students interested in the accounting profession at the Telfer School of Management.” The student-run club achieves this mission by organizing different events throughout the academic year.

One of these events, the club’s Annual Wine & Cheese in September, invites students to come meet and network with other students in their program as well as accounting professionals. The networking event is perfect for students looking for an opportunity to develop future career connections with experienced professionals.

Finance Society Annual Speaker Series

Telfer’s Finance Society is a membership-only group for students seeking a professional to mentor them in the field of finance. The association, like the others, organizes events for students to network with experts. As members, students get a chance to meet new people, become first-year representatives and executives and access unique opportunities and events.

One event that the Finance Society hosts every year is the Annual Speaker Series. This event takes place during the Fall or Winter semester and brings together students and special guests from different companies and organizations in the finance industry. The event is both an opportunity to network and a chance for students to learn about the speakers’ expertise and experiences. Previous Speaker Series events have featured speakers from CPA Canada, Statistic Canada, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and TD Canada Trust.

The Entrepreneurs’ Club Annual “Toast to Success” Business Dinner

The Entrepreneur’s Club is a student-run organization that aims to connect students from the University of Ottawa with entrepreneurs from different industries. One of the many events that the club’s organizers host during the year is the Annual Toast to Success Business Dinner. 

The dinner is the biggest networking event organized by a club at Telfer, with more than 300 students and industry professionals in attendance. The main goal of the event is to recognize and celebrate the entrepreneurial success of members of the Telfer and University of Ottawa communities. The dinner usually features a keynote speech by a guest speaker. 

The business dinner is not only a way to network with peers and professionals but also a fun night out! Attendees can take the opportunity to dress up in their best outfit and enjoy a nice dinner with friends.

Mad Marketing

The Telfer Marketing Association is another student-led organization that aims to help students build their professional network and develop their skills. The association also hopes to help students make valuable connections during professional, academic and social events. These events help students gain real-life experiences in the field of marketing.

Mad Marketing is a social event that caters to students interested in the marketing industry. Unlike the workshops and case competition organized by the Club, Mad Marketing allows students to network industry professionals and meet companies that could hire them in the future. Companies that attended the event in the past include Shopify, PepsiCo, McMillian and PageCloud.  

Legacy Conference

The Legacy Conference is the largest student entrepreneurship conference in Canada. Held in partnership with Enactus uOttawa, the event brings together students, entrepreneurs, startup representatives and founders with a common interest in entrepreneurship. 

For two days, attendees get to hear from guest speakers from Canada and the United States. The Legacy Conference also facilitates one-on-one mentorship by different industry experts and networking with some amazing startups and established companies.

Networking events give you a unique opportunity to make connections and build new relationships that can last a lifetime. Attend one of these events to network with professionals in your field of study, to develop your communication skills and to further your career. You can visit Career Launch and consult the Calendar of Events to find out when the next event is scheduled!