Opportunity Knocking

If it’s early April, it must be time for BSU’s annual job and education career fairs.

This year, 419 students and alumni attended the job event, where they were able to apply for jobs and network with companies looking for internships or to bring on graduates for full-time positions.

Matt Coyne, ’16, accounting and finance major was impressed by the amount of employment prospects in his field.

“I was at the job fair to seek job and/or internship opportunities so that I can gain experience in my field,” he said. “I was nervous at first, but once I started talking to more people from their jobs, I got more comfortable with the whole job and internship fair experience.”

There were 62 employers registered to attend, which is the maximum size that can fit into the RCC’s large ballroom. There were an addition 40 different entities collecting resumes outside the ballroom.

“Job fairs are important in that they provide a chance to meet with a recruiter face-to-face and are also networking opportunities,” said Laurent Troland, assistant director of Career Services. “In today’s competitive job market it is a chance to get past the ‘apply here’ button and have a human contact to ask your questions, find out about the company to see if it is a good fit, and to learn the timeline and process to apply for and interview for their open positions.”

More than 50 schools attended another recent event, the Education Career Fair. The local institutions were there to distribute application materials, showcase their district, collect resumes and network with eager candidates regarding anticipated teacher openings for the 2015-2016 school year.

“Throughout the day at this event, I was pulled aside by employers commenting on how well attended the event was, how well prepared and polished our candidates were, and that they always look forward to coming to recruiting events here at BSU,” Mr. Troland said. 

Before the Education Career Fair there was a panel discussion titled, “What do Schools Look for in a Candidate?" (Story and photos by Caitlin Seddon, University News)