Paulo Oliveira came to our April 2017 Talent Day, where he met Anthony Azar (one of our Career Experts!) and the team from Traction on Demand. Thanks to this connection from Talent Day, Paulo found a developer role! Paulo recently moved to Vancouver, and Talent Day was the first networking event he went to. We asked Paulo and Anthony to share their Talent Day experiences with us – keep reading to get a look at Talent Day from both sides.

Please describe your experience at Talent Day.
At Talent Day, Paulo took his time to check all the companies attending the event, deciding which ones he would speak to. The event was busy, but “there was enough time to talk to all companies [he] was interested in”. Traction on Demand was the first company that he applied for, and the only one that he went from start to finish with through the recruiting process. While he had applied at a few different companies, the process at Traction on Demand was so smooth and efficient that he received an offer even before going to any other interviews.

What it was like to network and connect with great companies like Traction on Demand?
Paulo shared that “it was super easy to approach and speak to recruiters in each company’s booth,” and “they were very open to start a conversation with all present candidates”. Traction on Demand stood out in particular because Anthony “was very excited about Talent Day” and their booth was buzzing all night.

What was your experience at Talent Day like while representing Traction on Demand? 
Anthony: Talent Day gives us the opportunity to connect with a variety of great talent – often those who are new to the market – that have a variety of technical skills. We really appreciate the opportunity to get to know candidates in-person and chat with them about the great things that are happening at Traction on Demand.

What do you look for in candidates when you’re hiring?
Anthony: Traction on Demand’s hiring philosophy is based on culture, intelligence and then skills as we think that if someone is a great culture fit and has the aptitude to learn, then they can pick up many of the skills they might be missing. Salesforce.com talent is quite rare in Canada and so it has always worked better for us to look for great people to train, as opposed to searching for ramped salesforce.com talent. We are interested in people who want to join an active community of engaged individuals who see business as more than just a vehicle to make money. We care about our people, wider community and planet.

Want to connect with Traction on Demand? Read up on Anthony’s networking tips, check out their job postings, and learn more about their culture. Don’t forget to join our Tech Talent Meetup group in order to stay updated on future events like Career Experts Panels and Talent Days.

The post Talent Day Success Stories: Paulo and Traction on Demand appeared first on BC Jobs Blog.

Lorraine Boutin is a recent grad who came to Talent Day in April as part of her job search. At the event, she met the team from Drive Digital, where she got the chance to learn about their culture and found a front-end development role! Keep reading to learn more about Lorraine’s experience at Talent Day and life at Drive.

Please describe your experience at Talent Day.
Lorraine: Talent Day was great! I had seen many of the companies throughout my job searches and it was valuable being able to meet with them directly and give my resume and a sense of my skills in person. It was a very busy event, however I was able to meet with all of the companies I intended to.

What it was like to network and connect with great companies like Drive Digital?
Lorraine: Networking and connecting with companies at Talent Day was a great experience, and allowed me to get a feel for company culture and the type of people they were looking for. I had heard of Drive Digital before the event, so I made sure to meet the team in person and get a sense of the position they were hiring for.

Now that you’ve been able to find an awesome new role from Talent Day, what is life at Drive Digital like?
Lorraine: Life at Drive is awesome – I’m really enjoying my new job and especially the company culture. Being a recent grad it was very important to me to find a place where I could grow and continue improving my skills, and Drive has all of that and more. The company has a very laid-back atmosphere, which I love, as it makes even the more stressful times during deadlines fun.

We were able to connect with Miles Sellyn, Managing Partner at Drive, to learn more about their time at Talent Day, and this is what he had to say:

What was your experience at Talent Day like while representing Drive Digital? 
Miles: We had a great time attending our first Talent Day a few months ago. We met over 60 candidates for our 3 open positions, interviewed 6, and have now have one working for us…and she has been doing an amazing job since day one!

What is Drive Digital like?
Miles: Drive Digital is a creative digital agency with a specialization in web design and development. We’re a team of 26 talented UX/UI designers, developers, strategists and project managers with passion for creating top quality websites that make an impact for our clients. We take our work very serious, but not ourselves (except when it comes to MarioKart).

If you’d like to learn more about Drive Digital, be sure to visit their website, like them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter!

The post Talent Day Success Stories: Lorraine and Drive Digital appeared first on BC Jobs Blog.