Melody Bagaa is one of many recent university graduates - in Canada and around the world -who faced the unenviable task of hunting for a job in a world rattled by COVID-19.
A native of Mongolia, Bagaa came to Canada in 2016 in hopes of breaking into the finance industry through the University of Toronto Scarborough's co-op program.
Through the program, she worked stints at BMO Financial Group and the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada - experiences that had made her confident in her ability to land a job after graduation last November.
"When I started my degree, the job market was okay," says Bagaa, who earned a bachelor of business administration degree.
"Then COVID-19 happened, and the job market was practically frozen. I didn't know how long it would take to find a job. Everything was uncertain."
Bagaa tried not to panic. Instead, she harnessed U of T's resources and alumni - even building a personal alumni network on LinkedIn - and ultimately landed a job at a Toronto investment advisory and consulting firm amid the upheaval.
One of the first things Bagaa did was sign up for U of T Scarborough's Job Seekers Club, a four-week program operated by the campus's Academic Advising & Career Centre. Through the program, Bagaa picked up job search strategies as well as resume and cover letter-writing skills.
