At Lai and Associates, we believe some of the best hiring decisions begin long before a résumé reaches our desk.
Over the past several years, our organization has worked with post-secondary institutions to provide students with opportunities to gain real-world experience while contributing to meaningful projects. These placements allow students to apply what they’ve learned in the classroom, while giving our team an opportunity to identify emerging talent.
One of those students was Jaron Campbell.
Taking the First Step
Before joining the organization, Jaron took the initiative to reach out directly to our CEO, Basil Lai, to learn more about the company and explore opportunities to gain industry experience.
That initiative left a strong first impression and eventually led to an internship opportunity within our growing production team.
Learning Through Hands-On Experience
Through educational partnerships, including opportunities involving Western University, students have gained hands-on experience working alongside our communications, production, and technology teams. Jaron quickly embraced that opportunity.
During his placement, he became involved in a wide variety of production activities, including:
- Filming and camera support
- Equipment preparation and setup
- Audio capture
- Media management
- Content organization
- General production support
As his experience grew, so did his responsibilities. Internal production planning identified Jaron as a key contributor supporting camera operations, production logistics, media handling, and content capture across multiple projects.
Jaron filming content for AirBoss at a charity event.
Growing into the Role
What stood out was not only Jaron’s willingness to learn, but also his ability to take ownership of the work in front of him.
Over time, he became increasingly involved in production execution and content development while building the technical and operational skills needed to support larger projects and growing client requirements. As his confidence and experience expanded, so did his role within the production workflow.
The Value of Student Placements
Jaron’s journey reflects an approach that has proven valuable across the organization.
Within the technology team, Rondha Ramdeo-Lai has seen firsthand how internships and student placements can help identify future team members by allowing students to demonstrate their abilities through real work. The production team has benefited from the same approach.
Rather than evaluating talent solely through interviews, students are given opportunities to contribute, learn, collaborate, and grow within a professional environment. In many cases, those experiences provide a clearer picture of long-term potential than a traditional hiring process ever could.
A Permanent Addition to the Team
Today, we are pleased to welcome Jaron Campbell as a permanent member of the Production Team.
His transition from intern to team member demonstrates the value of investing in emerging talent and creating opportunities for students to gain meaningful experience. It is also a reminder that initiative, curiosity, and a willingness to learn can open doors to unexpected opportunities.
Jaron and Human Resources Associate, Leselle.
Looking Ahead
At Lai and Associates, we remain committed to supporting students, building partnerships with educational institutions, and creating pathways that help the next generation of professionals launch successful careers.
Sometimes those pathways begin with a simple introduction.
For Jaron, they led to a career.
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