The Startup Career Expo is just two weeks away and already the team at You’re Next Career Network has gathered 80 startup companies to mingle with over 1,000 registered student participants. But they’re still hoping to get that number up to 1,500.
You’re Next Career Network is a group of University of Toronto students and alumni running a completely non-for-profit venture. It regularly hosts events like the Startup Career Expo, which seek to bring together eager, intelligent and talented students with startup companies that are hunting for their next team members. As schools like the University of Waterloo have almost become famous for producing Silicon Valley startup talent, the event will very likely lead to a few hand-shakes.
And with a student body at the University of Toronto that is no stranger to entrepreneurship, the event, now in its second consecutive year, seems poised for healthy growth.
Senior vp Kazem Kutob confirmed that the event has now secured 80 companies to showcase, with another 10 on a waiting list. Some of the companies include Uken Games, Freshbooks, JuiceMobile, 500px, Bionym, OneClass, Ratehub, rubikloud, ScienceScape, Seamless Mobile Health, The Next 36, TopHat, TunnelBear, Thalmic Labs, Uber, UberFlip and Hubba, just to name a few.
When we chatted with Kutob in December he told us it’s all about career opportunities for these students, and what better way to step into a career path than to walk around the MaRS Discovery District on February 25, where dozens of hiring startups will be eager to chat.
“It’s a one-day event where I go and interact with companies, I learn what opportunities are out there and I can say, ‘you know I think I like this company or startup, I think I’d like to work there’,” said Kutob.
As word has gone around and as more and more students signed up since December, Kutob said the interest on the part of companies grew as well. “I think companies realized is this is going to be a big event that’s going to happen,” he said. “All companies are looking for talent and this is the sort of event that would give them exposure to help them fill those open positions.”
For those students interested in participating, visit the Startup Career Expo for more information.
