Career Fair Provides New Outlooks for Students

The Career Development Center at California State University of San Bernardino was buzzing a short time ago as students and alumni dropped by for a career fair where a variety of companies and organizations, along with their representatives, were set up. Prospective employees went from one company table to another, inquiring about current positions needing to be filled, information on future jobs/career choices, and a few were offered on-the-spot interviews. Career fairs are common on college campuses and are a great job seeking tool, especially for senior students and recent graduates. For example, Target, Enterprise, and Firestone were looking to fill specific entry-level management positions within their companies. Other companies offering jobs in sales were Southern Wine and Spirits of Southern California, as well as Welk Resorts. There were many government departments represented at the event including the Department of Behavioral Health for the County of San Bernardino where Volunteer Services Coordinator, Susan Abito, spoke with many interested students about a career in Behavioral Health for the County. "We have a great unique internship program" that matches interns based on specific interests and skills. Those looking to start in the non-profit sector had the Susan G. Koman Foundation and Frontier, a conservation and development organization to choose from (among others). Angela and Elena over at the Americorps table were more than happy to share what their organization was all about as well as the many opportunities and perks that come with becoming an Americorps volunteer. According to Angela, "You are paid a small stipend for your service, however at the end you are eligible for an educational reward that can be used towards paying back student loans." For freshly graduated alumni, this is a great perk. One should note that as much as career fairs get the applicant that much closer to the company, it can still have the potential of producing little to no results. An online article from U-T San Diego stated that career fairs can be a bust for some and a huge success for others, pointing out that an applicant is taking a "leap of faith" that their resume would be taken into consideration over another. As much as it is a chance taken mostly by the job seeker it does have its benefits even if they are not in receiving that job on the first try. Mr Cuny, Job Developer at CSUSB, and the one who is in charge of the career fairs and the off-campus event series Careers on Demand in Redlands, Rancho Cucamonga, Riverside, and Pomona, spoke of the many benefits of these events including how it really helps students prepare for the real world challenges of seeking out work, dressing the part of a professional, and the art of networking. Many employers, in fact, stated that going to career fairs and expos like this one really gives them an opportunity to speak with prospective employees and gain more personalized insight into whether they would hire those individuals. In short, the career fair had a little bit of everything from teaching and law enforcement to careers geared towards science and technology majors. There were no limitations to what a student or grad could achieve and learn from attending the fair, and hopefully they came out a little more confident about their futures if not with a direction of where one would like to go next.