Employers and students filled Blackwell Hall Wednesday, Feb. 15 during the annual spring Job and Internship Fair. The fair, held between noon and 4 p.m., featured 35 employers and four Longwood University offices, all taking resumes, answering questions and offering advice to students interested in finding a career after graduation or landing an internship to satisfy Longwood's requirement.
The fair was an opportunity for students to start networking with employers from all over. Director of the Academic Career & Advising Center (ACAC) and event sponsor Mary Meade Saunders said, "A student may say, ‘This is what I am looking for,' and the employer might say, ‘Well, we don't have those things, but I know someone who works at this company, and this is who you should be calling.'"
Not everyone walks away with a job or internship, but the point is to get a start with real people who represent real companies. Most of the representatives were from nearby areas.
Associate Director of the ACAC Ellen Masters said, "If you see they are coming from the Richmond, [Va.] office and you have no desire to work in Richmond, don't let that stop you from going to talk to an employer because they can connect you to employers in Florida or Connecticut or wherever you are looking at."
Masters stated, "A lot of employers will use the job fair as an intake. So, they will say, ‘I really liked meeting you, you have a good-looking resume, so let me invite you back in two weeks when I will be on campus and we can do an interview.'"
Just under 300 students stopped by and visited the fair last week. Nearly 56 percent of those students were 2012 graduates. Business and economics majors were the largest to come out to the event, followed by criminology, communications, history and sociology students.
For the students who did not see success during the Job and Internship Fair, there is still hope. Saunders said, "Sometimes students don't find anything they are interested in at the fair, but they do feel more comfortable talking to employers after attending the fair."
Senior Brenna McNally was one of the students who left feeling more at ease with the job interviewing process. She said, "Everyone is really friendly and they are all looking for Longwood students. The good thing is that they have job opportunities from across Virginia."
As for advice for students looking for a job, some employers had a few words of wisdom. "Do your research," said Jarek Muchowski, summer camp and respite services director at Camp Baker Services in Richmond. He said it is crucial for students to know which position they are applying for and what that entails. In addition, knowing the company impresses the employers.
"Know what you want to do and the areas you are looking for. Have different resumes geared toward those different areas," said Ed Sorrentino, 2011 Longwood alumnus and technical support at Mapcom Systems, a developer of map-based Geographical Operations System (GOS) software in Chesterfield County. Sorrentino said it is important to keep those resumes so you can show all your skills to potential employers.
Just because the fair is over doesn't mean you can't get feedback on your resume. If you are interested in having the ACAC look over your resume or have questions about interviews, walkin hours are everyday from noon until 2 p.m.
For students who missed the fair, the ACAC will have three events coming up soon. The Student Alumni Networking Event will take place this Friday from 1-4:30 p.m. in Lankford Student Union. Education Recruitment Day will be from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. in Blackwell on March 2 for those interested in teaching or working in a school system. Finally, on March 29 from 3:30-5 p.m. in Blackwell, the Local Employer Showcase will take place.
For more information, visit the ACAC website at http://www.longwood.edu/career.
While meandering throughout the various booths, students talk to potential employers about post-college career plans.
