Yes, you may have worn a toque this morning (or maybe that was just me), but summer sun is just around the corner. Here are five easy ways to find the perfect student hire to max out your upcoming ISI grants and elevate your growing startup.
1. Good old-fashioned Craigslist (or Indeed, BC Tech, etc.)
Yes, we might think of Craigslist as a place to purchase used cars, trade mid-century modern furniture and sell Canucks tickets (cause let’s face it, they didn’t do so well this year). But Craigslist and sites just like it are perfect for job postings–and can be easily used in many cases, for free, to help you find an A+ student for your startup.
Which sites are best? Craiglist (free), Indeed (free/paid options), LinkedIn (paid), and BC Tech association (paid) are all great places to start. We suggest treating the job posting as you would any other hire. To customize it for your ISI Grant, it can be helpful to add wording at the bottom of your post to ensure all applicants are eligible.
Here’s an example:
This job is being funded through the BC Innovator Skills Initiative (ISI) Grant. The successful applicant must be currently enrolled in classes or be soon returning to a program at a BC-based post-secondary institution. All eligible applicants must not be currently enrolled in an accredited co-op program.
2. University career centre job sites
You’re looking for students, and they’re looking for jobs. Why not hit them up where they (should) be spending most of their time–on campus? (Well, campus websites.) University career centres are a perfect way to find the right student, from the right program. Need a data analytics pro from a Master’s program at SFU? Or a summer MBA intern from UBC? Say no more. Each university or college offers their own job board, and often each faculty has their own assigned career coaches or advisors who are ready to connect students with exciting summer positions.
Why go this route? Career centre advisors not only can post a job for you, they can also help you refine the posting. It’s in their best interest to ensure that their students are properly matched, so they’re looking out for the best and brightest fit. That means your student is getting the experience they need to advance in their career, while you are matched with an enthusiastic employee who has the right skill set for your company.
3. Get social (media)
As it turns out, social media’s not just for posting yoga #selfies and photos of your five-star, almost-Michelin-level dinner (or one-star diner brunch). It can also be a great way to get the word out for your summer student job posting. Added bonus: if you throw down some tweets / Instagram / facebook / LinkedIn posts about your position, be sure to tag us too. We’re always happy to re-post to help spread the word.
4. Get your group-on (or find one)
There are so many startup / non-startup focused groups out there. Why not hit them up?
Need a marketer? Sites like BCAMA (that’s the American Marketing Association, BC chapter) would be perfect for helping you find someone. Need an engineer? Maybe there’s a student engineering group you could find online that accepts external job postings. Whatever your niche is, there’s probably an online community out there who can fill it.
5. Step outside (to some local events)
If there’s one thing the BC tech community is great at, it’s supporting and showing up for each other. If you’re looking to fill a vacancy at your startup, be sure to look for relevant career fairs where you might get connected with students.
Where to start? Try tech events around town or attend a post-secondary school’s on-campus career fair. Many startup-focused events like TechVan often allow anyone to make a community announcement–this can help you get the word out about your awesome posting and ensure it gets distributed widely.
Got this far, but still need help?
Read all of this and are still feeling stuck? Feel free to reach out. While we do not match students, we’re happy to help connect you to any relevant contacts that we have.
Applications are still open (and waiting for you)
Haven’t applied yet for an ISI Grant? What are you waiting for? Applications are open now, (are even retroactive), and are being accepted until April of next year.
Apply for ISI Grant