Longwood University hosted its annual Job & Internship Fair on Tues, Sept. 27 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m., providing a venue for students to meet with employers for potential job or internship opportunities. The companies that visited ranged from Verizon Wireless to Walgreens, Aflac to Central State Hospital, the Prince William County Police Department to Sunchase, and many more.
The department sponsoring the fair, the Academic & Career Advising Center, recommended on their website to research the employers attending, prepare a resume, schedule a mock interview, and wear professional attire. "I think that is our biggest challenge to get students to know about it and know how much they can benefit from attending," said Recruiting Coordinator & Office Manager of the Academic & Career Advising Center Lynne Estes.
"There are a number of options. I guess if you could be really thorough, you can make an appointment with one of our counselors and talk specifically about [your] major and [your] strong suits ... and then go from there as far as developing [your] own skills and developing a resume, developing interviewing skills, networking skills, [and] feeling comfortable," Estes noted. I think that's one of the biggest things that students have to overcome, is just walking in to speak to a stranger and feeling comfortable, feeling they're prepared."
All of these skills and responsibilities are not just for legality reasons, though. Companies use this information as a first and possibly last impression of who you are. "That's why the interviewing process and selection process is so rigorous and so selective," said Nancy Prickett of Teach For America, a non-profit organization that focuses on eliminating educational inequities by hiring future educators in at-risk communities.
Prickett said, "Throughout the process, that's what you're trying to simplify through your resume and through your letter of intent and when you're interviewing … you want to make sure you keep these in mind. I know that when I applied, my GPA wasn't the highest. And so, I made sure I stressed the other areas." Prickett referenced leadership skills, perseverance, organization skills and other skills listed on the Teach For America website. "You kind of get a chance to show off your strengths and show why you'd be a good fit ... If you didn't make it through the process, you probably wouldn't have been happy when you got in anyways."
Corri Rhodenizer of Kroger described some of the attributes she looks for in an applicant. "Me, personally, I look for individuals who are looking to take care of our customers and our associates, have desire and initiative to succeed and do well, and really see a goal, and set their sights on it, and go grasp it and take it."
Rhodenizer suggested to students, "Don't limit yourself to any institutions because a lot of us are very big. We have a lot of different things that we can offer, a lot of departments from within, and other than that, good luck."
Modern Woodmen, "one of America's leading fraternal financial organizations," according to Robert French Jr., was also another option at the Job & Internship Fair. French said, "I think if you're looking at a career in the business world, packaging yourself as a future business owner would be very important. Obviously, one of the ways to kind of measure yourself is look at other successful persons around you ... Someone who's not afraid to work long hours initially for the benefits and rewards that you reap by earning what you're worth."
If looking for a means to learn leadership experience, the Marine Corps was at the fair, ready and willing to talk to anyone interested. Second Lieutenant Nelson Francisco, a Longwood alumnus, said, "The Marine Corps really teaches you that you can't fail as long as you put everything you have into something … It's all about mission accomplishment. And pretty much by any means, anything can be done. It teaches you a lot of teamwork … And those are very valuable values to have when you go out into the real world and start working in corporate industries and things like that."
When asked why he thought the Marine Corps was right for him, Francisco said, "… it's very difficult these days — these days a bachelor's degree is kind of like a high school diploma. It doesn't really get you as far as it used to. So, I knew coming out that I would need a lot of experience. And I would need to make a name for myself before I could even attempt to tell anyone I would seriously like to work for them. And I thought that the Marines would give me that opportunity. And not only the experience, but a mental and physical challenge that they would provide for me. I knew that it wasn't going to be easy, and I didn't want anything easy. So, that's why I joined the Marine Corps."
Junior Taylor McPeake said he found out about the Job & Internship Fair "through the emails the Advising Center sent out." McPeake looked at the different companies online before coming to the far. Interested in the police departments, he said, "I feel it's something that would help other people, like a real influence." When asked if he would recommend others to attend the next Job & Internship Fair, he said, "I think it's a good way to get some basic information and find out anything else you want to know."
Senior Amuel Bair would also recommend the fair to other Longwood students and said, "If you're career-oriented, this is definitely the place to be." He said, "Definitely make sure you prepare yourself before going. Do your research. Have something in mind with what you want to get out of the fair."
Prickett said, "Think big. You can do whatever you want. So, it's what you make of it. You do get a choice when you ask for it."
Check out other Career & Academic Advising Center events online at http://www.longwood.edu/career. Check out available jobs and internships online at https://longwood-csm.symplicity.com/students/.
