By: Janine Hill and Thomas Kickham

Supporting the next generation starts with giving young people opportunities to see what is possible. Starting a career has never been a straight line. Some people know exactly what they want to do from an early age, whereas others discover a path through a summer job, a conversation, a mentor, or an opportunity they never knew existed. For young adults who are still in school or just beginning their careers, early exposure can be incredibly valuable. Seeing different roles, industries, and workplaces firsthand can help shape what they pursue, what they value in a workplace, and how they begin to see their own path forward.

But getting that first opportunity can be difficult. According to Statistics Canada, the unemployment rate among Canadians aged 20 to 29 with a bachelor’s degree or higher who were no longer students reached 8.1% in September 2025, compared with 5.9% in 2019.

It’s a challenge we believe those of us who are connected to the business community can help address. Sometimes that means creating an opportunity directly. Other times, it’s making an introduction, sharing advice, or simply helping someone understand what possibilities are out there.

Given the nature of our work in Executive Search, we see those possibilities from a unique vantage point. We work with organizations across a wide range of industries, learning what makes them different, understanding the nuances of their cultures, working alongside leadership teams, and seeing firsthand just how many different roles and career paths exist.

That perspective is something we believe is worth sharing. This summer, we had the opportunity to welcome Thomas, a finance student at the University of Alberta, to the Humanis Executive Search team and give him exposure to the world of executive search and the many industries and organizations we work with.

We asked Thomas to reflect on what surprised him, what he learned, and what he is taking with him from the experience. Here is what he shared:

Before you started with Humanis Executive Search, what were you expecting from the summer experience, and what surprised you most once you got into the role?

Everyone was nice and friendly from day one, so I expected it would be a fun place to spend the summer. From a work perspective, though, I didn’t fully understand the different approaches to search or how much the process can vary depending on the role, client, and type of search.

What surprised me most was how thorough the process is and how much work goes into finding the right fit. I learned there is a lot more research, discussion, and consideration involved than I expected, and that different search models require different approaches.

I was also surprised by just how many different jobs, industries, and career opportunities are out there. Working on different searches gave me exposure to roles and businesses I probably wouldn’t have come across otherwise, which was really interesting.

What did you learn about executive search, business, or the workplace that you didn’t know coming in?

I didn’t know much about executive search before I started. One thing that stood out to me was the opportunity to help fill positions for such a variety of companies and people, and the chance we have to make a meaningful impact on a candidate’s career as well as help companies’ future trajectories.

Was there a particular project, conversation, or experience that had the biggest impact on you?

Rather than one particular project, I think having the chance to work on a few searches at different stages was really helpful. Being able to see how sourcing can eventually lead to an offer, and everything that happens in between, gave me a much better understanding of the overall process.

How did working alongside the Humanis team contribute to your learning and development?

I learned a lot from everyone on the Humanis team, not just about executive search, but also about how to be a professional. I received a lot of great advice as I start out in my career.

What skills or perspectives do you feel you developed over the summer?

I developed a new perspective on what companies are looking for when they hire, and I was also able to strengthen my research skills.

Has the experience influenced how you think about your future career or what you want to pursue next?

Yes, this has been a great first step in my career. As a finance student at the University of Alberta, it gave me insight into a wide range of companies and helped me better understand the breadth of opportunities available within finance.

My summer experience also showed me that relationship building and human interaction are really important to me and something I want to have in my career.

What would you say to another student or young professional considering an opportunity like this?

I would 100% recommend it to anyone who is interested. I was able to learn a lot not only about executive search, but also about so many other industries, while learning more about what I want from my own career.

That is really the value of opportunities like this. They give young people the chance to learn, explore, and begin to understand where their interests and strengths might take them.

Supporting the next generation is about more than providing a summer job. It is about opening doors, sharing what we know, making introductions, and giving young people opportunities to better understand the working world and where they might fit within it.

We know we won’t always be able to provide the opportunity ourselves. But through the relationships we have built across industries and the leaders we work with every day, we can often help make a connection, offer some perspective, or point someone in a useful direction.

The path into a career is rarely perfectly defined from the beginning. Sometimes, getting exposure to a new industry, meeting the right person, or simply seeing a role you didn’t know existed can help make that path a little clearer.