Your organization can attract quality students to your WIL opportunities by building and maintaining brand recognition on campus. Students will apply for your opportunities if they are familiar with your brand, are excited about the possibility of working there, and/or have heard about other students having successful experiences.
Here are the top tips to help your brand stand out on campus:
1. Be a visible presence on campus
Give students an opportunity to connect with your brand on campus by hosting events like employer information sessions and participating in career fairs. Increase your visibility by sponsoring a team, event, or scholarship that is meaningful to your ideal student candidate. Advertise with student clubs whose members have your desired skilled and abilities.
2. Provide valuable information
Show your commitment to student growth and development by participating in panel discussions, industry information sessions, or volunteering to give mock interviews.
3. Demonstrate shared values
Our study on managing the workforce of the future revealed that benevolence is an important value for Gen Z. If benevolence is one of your organization’s values, share that with students by sponsoring a charity event that focuses on helping others.
4. Maintain a quality reputation
Share success stories from past WIL students and alumni to show that your opportunities deliver meaningful experiences. Resist over-promising certain outcomes and glossing over unglamorous aspects of the job with buzzwords.
Build brand exposure at the University of Waterloo
If you're interesting in hiring Waterloo students, check out some ways to build brand exposure on campus. You can also partner with a faculty member for experiences like applied research projects using our Partner Connect form.