On Monday, a representative from the Bank of Canada visited Wilfrid Laurier University to speak about its employment opportunities. Masters of business and administration (MBA), masters of arts (MA) and undergraduate economics students were among the 30 that attended the information session.
MBA student Wei Hong attended the session, as she is considering applying to the Bank of Canada after her schooling is complete.
“I still want to develop my career with a big company. I want to be challenged by the Bank of Canada,” said Hong.
The information session was lead by Bill Laur, a senior analyst at the Bank of Canada. Laur delivered a presentation detailing the bank’s mandate, its different departments and responsibilities and its employee benefits.
In the last five years, the Bank of Canada has hired over 100 recent graduates from economics and finance programs across Canada.
“Each year we hire about 30 graduates,” explained Laur. “It’s not a lot each year. It certainly is a competitive market, but there is always opportunity.”
After distributing testimonials and application information, Laur shared insight on how to successfully prepare for a job interview.
Laur, who is a graduate of Laurier’s co-op program, cited the importance of qualifications and job experience when trying to secure a job.
He stressed that having all the answers in interviews is not the only things that matters.
“What I look for is the way that you answer the question. [It’s more important] if you can form a logical argument that you can apply to financial principles.”
The presentation ended with Laur’s reiteration of the Bank of Canada’s contribution to the economic security of Canadians.
Having worked with the bank for eight years, Laur expressed the most important reason why he likes working at the Bank of Canada.
“It’s a place where you can feel you’re actually impacting the lives of Canadians,” said Laur. “It’s challenging and meaningful because you are part of the everyday life of Canadians.”
