CEO x 1 Day matches third and fourth year university students in key markets (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary and Ottawa) with some of the country's leading CEOs.
What's in it for students?
Take part in the most innovative leadership training opportunity in Canada! CEO x 1 Day gives students an opportunity to apply in-class learning to a real world situation, equipping them with the tools and skills to start building their careers. As CEO for a day, you'll work closely with an industry leader who will become your mentor for the day! Make this a first step to your future success!
Benefits to students
- Participating in the selection process gives students valuable skills for future job searches. You'll gain hands-on experience in the latest screening techniques used by recruiters. From phone to face-to-face speed interviews, students will learn to fine-tune their interviewing skills. Prepare for your future career search like a pro!
- Two out of three applicants will have the opportunity to complete an online leadership assessment and receive a personalized report from Hogan Assessments. The report will provide feedback on leadership skills like relationship building, goal setting and strategic thinking to help you understand and identify your own strengths and weaknesses to build your potential.
- All semi-finalists will be considered for an interview with McKinsey & Company for a summer internship or full-time placement.
- Semi-finalists will have an opportunity to interact with leaders in the executive search field during their interview day and get an inside look at what interviewing for a top firm is really like.
- Semi-finalists will spend a half day participating in group exercises and one-on-one interviewing which will strengthen their presentation and interview skills, learning from some of the best executive search experts.
- Winning finalists will spend a full day shadowing a CEO (including one-on-one time), learning about their background and career path to the top, as well as their unique leadership approach and style that brought them success!
19 students from across Canada will be CEO for a day. Will you be one of them?
Successful applicants will be chosen through an in-depth 5-step selection process that will assess your leadership potential, and will be matched with a participating CEO in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary or Ottawa.
Take the first step towards your future career!
The first step to being CEO x 1 Day? Submit an online application which will be reviewed by Odgers Berndtson's team of executive search experts. Your application will include:
- Your contact information
- Your university or college name and program
- A resume summarizing your paid and unpaid work experience, extracurricular activities, community involvement or charity work, and awards
- Academic transcripts
- A written essay highlighting your thoughts on leadership
The online application will be open from September 28th to October 27th, 2017.
About two out of three applicants will have the opportunity to move on to the next stage and complete an online leadership assessment and receive a personalized report from Hogan Assessments. The report will provide feedback on your core competencies and leadership potential.
Your assessment will be reviewed by Odgers Berndtson's consultants. They'll measure how your skills are reflective to those of a leader, someone who handles stress effectively, is politically aware, dependable, and loves learning new skills.
The online assessment will take place in November.
Selected students will then be contacted for a phone interview with a search consultant. You'll be evaluated on the quality of your answers and your ability to articulate your ideas.
The phone interviews will take place in December.
The semi-finalists will be invited to a half-day evaluation event at a local Odgers Berndtson office in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary or Ottawa. In this stage, you'll participate in individual and group exercises, including speed interviewing and presentations. You'll also have the opportunity to meet and network with some of Odgers Berndtson's consultants and partners, who will provide semi-finalists with feedback on their leadership assessment reports.
In this stage, you will be assessed on your ability to think on your feet, work in a group situation and your overall fit with the CEOs through activities like case studies, presentations and in-person interviews.
In-person interviews will take place in January 2018.
Congratulations! Those who make it to the final round will spend a full day shadowing a CEO. You'll learn about their background, career path, and how they create value and lead their organization. Finalists will have an opportunity to spend one-on-one time with the CEO, attend meetings with their leadership team and tour the company's facilities. Each CEO x 1 Day experience will include elements unique to the host company that ensure it is a meaningful and memorable experience for both the student and the CEO.
CEO x 1 Day will take place in February 2018.
Get to know the CEOs who you could be working with this year! Click on the logo to learn more about them.
