Students connected with representatives from over 36 local companies at the Job and Internship Fair, hosted by the Career Development Center at the University Center last week.
The fair was designed to allow students to meet employers in-person, while simultaneously exploring their potential career pathways and job opportunities.
Besides the face-to-face aspect between employers and applicants, the Career Development Center also wants students to start “building professional relationships and exploring the different career paths that may be available to them, whether they are actively looking for a position right now or simply starting to think about their future after Cal State Monterey Bay.”
It was promoted through multiple resources on campus—career advisors, Handshake (a career and job networking platform), flyers, emails, professors and other outreach efforts.
For a class, Idaly Ortiz Hernandez, attended this campus event and explained how she was pleasantly surprised.
“It was actually really nice to see employers and I think it helped me kind of visualize what kind of companies I can work with in the future,” said the junior in business administration.
Hernandez also said how Cushman and Wakefield, one of the participating companies, had caught her attention due to their intentional placements and work in real estate.
“They were one of the few employees standing in front of the table, instead of behind the table, so they were really inviting.” Based on this impression, she later submitted her resume to the company.
For students like Hernandez, this provided a foot in the door toward the workplace. For employers, it delivered a chance to find job candidates.
Some of the many representatives included were Mary Salazar and Sandy Wilson, both from the human resources department at Tucci Learning Solutions.
“Some of the qualities we’re looking for in applicants are: motivated to work, flexibility, willingness to learn, kind of a playful attitude because we work with clients, open to feedback, team players and to follow through,” said Wilson.
On top of these sought out characteristics, student assistant advisor Diana Vazquez Centeno from the Career Development Center, hopes students gained additional knowledge and experience from this two hour fair.
“Career fairs are also a great way for students to practice introducing themselves professionally, ask questions about different industries and organizations, and learn what employers are looking for in potential candidates. Even if a student does not leave with a job or internship immediately, making that initial connection can be valuable for their future career development.”