Vancouver's startup scene is booming. With a startup ecosystem that was recently ranked 15th globally (above Toronto, Waterloo, and Montreal!), it's a wonderful city where I'm looking to call home and build a career after graduation. Keeping that goal in mind, I went to TechFest Vancouver, a recruiting event hosted by Techvibes last week to explore the hometown scene. 

TechFest Vancouver provided over 300+ career opportunities from 13 tech companies. As implied by the event's name, the full-time jobs available were mostly for UI/UX designers, engineers, and people with backgrounds in technology. However, there were also a few opportunities for digital marketing, finance/accounting, and business development as well. Attendees had the choice of buying either a Job Seeker or Social Ticket, priced at $20 and $50 respectively. Each ticket came with a complementary drink ticket (additional tickets were $8 or three for $20), and Social Ticket holders were given additional networking opportunities.

The dress code at the event was mainly smart casual, while some people opted for a suit. While Techvibes recommends to polish your online profile and leave the paper resume at home, I noticed that some attendees brought hard copies and recruiters were actively looking over them. Like any other networking event, use your best judgement. 

Participating companies for Vancouver this year were:

• Article - startup furniture company

• Best Buy Canada - multinational big-box electronics retailer

• BroadbandTV - digital entertainment company and third largest video property globally

• BrainStation - digital skills academy with locations in Vancouver, Toronto, and New York

• Central 1 Credit Union - service provider to credit unions in BC and Ontario

• Garmin - S&P 500 tech company specializing in GPS products

• LoginRadius - SaaS customer identity management platform

• Mio Global - fitness wearables startup

• Realtor.com (as Move Canada) - marketing services provider to real estate professionals

• Salesforce - the world's #1 CRM platform

• TIO Networks - cloud-based multi-channel payment processing provider

• Visier - people strategy platform that supports Fortune 500 clients

• Zenefits - SaaS HR management platform

Additionally, the companies were given two minutes to have one of their executives come on stage and pitch their company in front of attendees. It was a unique chance to see how they personally communicated their company's mission, selling points, and culture in front of a large crowd to stand out and attract the best talent. The appetizers at the event were also delicious - there were chicken skewers, popsicles, and popcorn, just to name a few.

With a $20 ticket price, TechFest is a valuable chance to meet new people, get to know local companies and make your next career move. If you're from Toronto or Montreal and you're looking for jobs in tech, check it out! The event will be coming to your city in July and September respectively.

Got any questions about the event? Leave a comment down below!

I'm on Twitter @imalecyu.