Lauren Sutherland
Lauren Sutherland is a Content & Community Coordinator at TalentEgg. She graduated from Victoria College at the University of Toronto with a B.A. Honours in English. As she is originally from British Columbia, Lauren spends her free time exploring the city of Toronto. Follow her on Linkedin.
Each year, TalentEgg hosts the National Campus Recruitment Excellence Awards and Conference to recognize the innovations and exceptional efforts of Canada’s top recruiters and career centres. Our conference is an opportunity for youth employment experts to learn new ways of connecting students and new graduates to meaningful job placements. As a part of the Conference, the TalentEgg Awards celebrate employers and advisors who are helping young people start their careers, a mission that has been TalentEgg’s purpose since the beginning.
The #TEAwards recognize all categories of student and new graduate recruitment, such as Best Recruitment Website, Best Internship/Co-op Program, and this year, Social Responsibility in Recruitment and the Best Campus Ambassador Program. The awards are evaluated and chosen completely by our panel of Student Judges from across Canada— after all, who better to give feedback on youth employment initiatives than students themselves? Our Judges brought commitment, dedication, and creativity to the table when evaluating and providing feedback on the campus recruitment initiatives of employers and academic institutions.
We had a chance to catch up with these students to find out more about them, their career goals, and how they like their eggs!
Justin Lau
Justin Lau
Bachelor of Commerce, Accounting
Ryerson University, 2018
Give us your elevator pitch! Tell us about yourself and what makes you a top student?
I am a fourth-year Accounting student at Ryerson University. Alongside my various experiences in retail and banking, I try to be involved with my school through extracurricular activities such as attending Toastmasters. I have also been involved in volunteer initiatives such as the school’s tax clinic in March where I filed income tax returns for students. However, I think what ultimately makes me a top student is my passion for continuous learning and striving to push the bar higher every day.
What have you learned from being a TalentEgg student judge?
As a TalentEgg Student Judge, I learned about various campus recruiting initiatives that organizations undertake. More importantly, I’ve learned that giving good feedback and starting productive dialogues is important in creating a smooth recruiting process for both employers and students.
How do you like your eggs?
Scrambled!
Kathleen O’Keefe
Kathleen O’Keefe
Bilingual BA in Psychology
Glendon College (York University), 2019
Give us your elevator pitch! Tell us about yourself and what makes you a top student?
My life has been a balancing act between school and working full-time for the past few years. By day you’ll find me in Oakville working in my dynamic full-time role as a Human Resources Coordinator (50% Global Talent Acquisition and 50% Global HR), and by night you’ll find me in Toronto at Glendon College working toward my ambition to become proficient in French. My “working student” lifestyle makes me a top student because this balancing act is a daily exercise in time management, and I have the unique opportunity of sharing practical career insights (and even some resume/interview tips) with other students who are just beginning to embark on their careers. My ability to build relationships, persevere, and keep my eyes on the prize make me a key player in team environments both inside and outside the classroom.
What have you learned from being a TalentEgg student judge?
I learned that time management will always continue to be a daily exercise, and was humbled by the amount of time and effort needed to comprehensively review each application across 12 categories, while also ensuring that I was providing thoughtful and constructive feedback for each application. When faced with a large project, committing to working on a piece of it every day will always be the best practice.
How do you like your eggs?
Preferably inside of a cake from Toronto’s famous Japanese cheesecake specialist, Uncle Tetsu’s! 🙂
Do you have anything else that you would like to add?
This is the second time I’ve had the privilege to participate in an initiative with TalentEgg, and it makes me happy to see that Canadian students have genuine opportunities to connect with employers and make a real impact. These TalentEgg opportunities will continue to provide egg-ceptional value to students from both a career and personal development perspective.
Jenny Jingyi Li
Jenny Jingyi Li
Honours Mathematics/Chartered Accountancy (2017) & Masters of Accounting (2018)
University of Waterloo, School of Accounting and Finance
Give us your elevator pitch! Tell us about yourself and what makes you a top student?
I’m currently in my final year of my undergraduate program in Honors Mathematics and Chartered Accountancy, with a minor in Actuarial Science at the University of Waterloo. I intern at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in their Audit & Assurance Group, with a specialization in the financial services sector. One of my major passions is being actively involved in making a difference in the student community. At the University of Waterloo, I contribute to academia as a Research Supervisor, and I also represent one of the largest global student-run organizations called Global China Connection (GCC). As President of GCC, I’ve transformed GCC’s core offering to a focused business professional network through spearheading the launch of various leadership conferences and case competitions to spark creativity amongst students and connect them with industry professionals. Under my presidency, GCC successfully launched its very own OPTIMIZE conference, a national business case competition attended by over 100 students annually across Canada. Being a proud female math student, I’ve also been heavily involved with the organization called Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (WiSTEM). Through this organization, we’ve partnered with other clubs to launch a workshop which has allowed students to participate in a warm networking environment to not only feel inspired by math, but also empowered as women.
What have you learned from being a TalentEgg Student Judge?
I learned about the different ways that companies are adapting to new trends in social media. Being part of this judging process also provided me with insight on various industries, and what career opportunities are available within them.
How do you like your eggs?
Poached eggs, especially in the form of eggs benedict. It’s egg-cellent!
Emi Yasuda
Emi Yasuda
International Relations and Contemporary Asian Studies
Victoria College, University of Toronto
Give us your elevator pitch! Tell us about yourself and what makes you a top student?
I am a first-year student studying International Relations and Contemporary Asian Studies at the University of Toronto, St. George. I grew up on the outskirts of Toronto, but I spent the past four years attending high school in Southern California. While snowy days make me miss the sun and sand, I’m excited to be back in Canada to pursue my degree! Outside of my studies, I am strongly passionate about photography!I am particularly interested in using digital manipulation to convey ideas through images. I am passionate about using my creativity and strong-work ethic to advance the causes I support. I am simultaneously a bonafide nerd who loves spending time at the library and a gregarious people person. Through extracurricular involvement with organizations like U of T’s Hart House Debating Club, where I am an executive member, I’ve been able to meet and learn from many amazing people. To be a top student, you have to recognize that the lessons you receive inside and outside the classroom are immensely valuable.
What have you learned from being a TalentEgg student judge?
TalentEgg exposed me to the immense number of incredible opportunities that Canadian companies offer to students and young professionals. While evaluating submissions, I found myself drawn in by the dedication of different enterprises and schools helping students advance their careers. Plus, the judging process gave me insight into how recruiters perceive my generation, and what other students value most in potential employers.
How do you like your eggs?
I love hard-boiled eggs with salad. I eat this combo daily at the dining hall!
Lauren Sutherland is a Content & Community Coordinator at TalentEgg. She graduated from Victoria College at the University of Toronto with a B.A. Honours in English. As she is originally from British Columbia, Lauren spends her free time exploring the city of Toronto. Follow her on Linkedin.