色妹妹直播 students may have experienced an atypical start to the fall semester this year due to the labour disruption, but that didn鈥檛 impact one of the most popular events of the term for business students.听
Management Career Services鈥� annual Business Networking Night, presented by EY, drew a record number of attendees this year, including many first-year students who had not even attended class yet.听
Nearly 600 students and employer partners came out to network at the event held in the McInnes Room, excited by the opportunity to meet employers and discuss potential future job opportunities.
鈥淲e are always thrilled to provide the opportunity for business students and employer partners to meet face to face at this signature event,鈥� says Robert Wooden, director of Management Career Services. 鈥淭he fact that it keeps getting bigger every year shows the value of professional networking, whether a student is in their first year, final year, or anywhere in between. We also see a broader range of industries represented each year."听
One of those excited students was Victoria Nguyen, a second-year student from Vietnam in the Bachelor of Commerce Co-op program.
鈥淏efore attending it, I prepared a lot but still felt quite nervous. Fortunately, once I joined, I was able to talk to and learn from many people. As someone who was not very familiar with the working environment in Canada, this event gave me a much clearer understanding of how things operate, as well as the strengths of companies in the area. I learned a great deal to help me prepare for my upcoming co-op, and I am extremely grateful for it.鈥澨�
As someone who was not very familiar with the working environment in Canada, this event gave me a much clearer understanding of how things operate
There were also many repeat student attendees, including second-year Commerce Co-op student Charlie McInnes. 鈥淚n first year, I attended the event and didn鈥檛 really know what to expect. This year, having met so many like-minded business students through the previous academic year, networking with employers and other new students came easily. The idea of approaching new people and employers was something I was not only comfortable with, but excited to do.鈥�
This year鈥檚 event was attended by 119 employer partners from 41 organizations. There were also more sponsors than ever before, one of those being , who sent a recent Commerce Co-op alum as one of their company representatives.
鈥淎ttending Business Networking Night as a representative of Irving Oil was a meaningful full-circle experience,鈥� says Shafiul Hassan Rafi, a junior investigator in Environment, Health, Safety & Compliance at the company. 鈥淎s a recent graduate, it was incredibly rewarding to engage with students who are now walking the same halls I did not long ago. The event provided a great platform to share my journey from co-op to full-time employment and to highlight the diverse opportunities available at Irving Oil. It was a proud moment to give back to the Dal community and support the next generation of business leaders.鈥澨�
Shafiul was just one of many Dal alum attending the event, providing an extra layer of empathy and knowledge in their interactions with current students like second-year Commerce Co-op student Angel Gabriel.听
鈥淚t was refreshing to get out of my comfort zone. There I was, in the middle of 鈥楲inkedIn in person鈥�. I learned so much information, especially from Dal alumni,鈥� says Angel. 鈥淔ellow Accounting students who are now pursuing their CPA designation shared their journey of how they got into where they are now. After attending the event, I not only made connections with the employers but also current fellow students in the same program as me.鈥�
For second-year Bachelor of Management student Yug Savani, the event offered a welcoming environment.
鈥淚 cannot get enough of how excited the first years and my peers from second year were to talk to their favourite companies about a co-op or an internship. I loved how friendly the environment of the whole event was, and how alumni from different companies were happy to share their journey from Dal to their respective companies,鈥� says Yug.
Dal Business Networking Night is always well-attended by first-year students, and this year was no exception. They came nervous but ready to experience professional networking for the first time.听
鈥淚 decided to attend the event because I knew that I would have to do more events in future, and I wanted some early exposure,鈥� says first-year Commerce Co-op student Lindsay Chow-Teal. 鈥淒espite my nervousness, I found that all businesses in attendance were so welcoming. As a first-year student I went so I could see a glimpse of what my future may look like, and it only made me more excited for what is yet to come.鈥澨�
As a first-year student I went so I could see a glimpse of what my future may look like, and it only made me more excited for what is yet to come
To help strategize their time at the event, some students came with a game plan.听
鈥淚t鈥檚 always important to put yourself out there, whether you鈥檙e just starting out or are already established in your career,鈥� says Natalie Cooke, a Corporate Residency MBA student. 鈥淚鈥檝e learned that networking isn鈥檛 about how many people you meet, but the quality of the conversations you have.鈥澨�
鈥淚 have a rule that for every person I already know and talk to, I seek out someone new. Walking through the door is often the hardest part, but once you鈥檙e there, let your skills shine and be yourself.鈥澨�
At the event, Dr. Mike Smit, Dean of the Faculty of Management, shared that Management Career Services supported more than 1,000 work terms in 2025, an increase of over 5 per cent from 2024. This is the first time the unit has supported over 1,000 work terms in a calendar year, further demonstrating the Faculty of Management鈥檚 focus on the value of work-integrated learning.
