By Ally Kebba
Contributing Writer
Roughly 600 students attended the fourth annual Internship & Job Fair held by the Career Development Center (CDC) on Tuesday. The event provided an on-campus opportunity for students to meet alumni, gain information about a variety of industries and learn about possible internship and job opportunities. The fair took place from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in Davis Gym, which was decorated in orange and blue for the occasion.
“The CDC was [particularly] more successful this year [due to] more student outreach, more direct promotion, and because the students are understanding at younger and younger ages that it is beneficial to learn about possible career paths and opportunities as soon as possible,” said Alison Ordonez, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations & Career Service.
The CDC reached out to employers and organizations on their public site and through The BRIDGE, a password-protected site that links University students and alumni with recruiting employers. The CDC also contacted alumni and parents who wanted to make students aware of available internship and full-time job opportunities. Of the nearly 200 employers representing 63 different organizations, roughly 60 percent were University alumni.
To prepare for the fair, students could work on their résumés or have them critiqued by attending the Résumé and Cover Letter Workshop and Resumania, both held by the CDC. Many students who took advantage of such opportunities felt more equipped and were able to speak confidently with potential employers.
“Resumania was really helpful because I was able to get individual attention to help me improve my résumé and cover letters,” Annie Goldman ’14 said.
Other students agreed that the preparation sessions held by the CDC before the fair helped to calm students’ nerves.
“Initially I was overwhelmed at the prospect of going to the fair because I felt unprepared, but after attending I realized that everyone is nervous and it was a step in the right direction towards becoming more comfortable in my job search,” Sarah Riessen ’14 said.
The CDC attempted to attract all students to the fair by inviting diverse organizations, offering a wide array of professional and volunteer opportunities. Many organizations sought out students of all majors and interests.
“At first I thought only engineers and people interested in the world of finance would benefit from attending, but I was proven wrong when I realized there were entrepreneurs and volunteer opportunities as well,” Riessen said.
Representatives from Geisinger Health System, Phyllis A. Scott, Donna Laroya and Grace Onkst, described the fair as “wonderful,” explaining that students came prepared and looked professional. Many employers suggested that students attending future career fairs be outgoing, personable and confident.
“Don’t be shy, we’re here to help!” Laroya said.
For more information regarding upcoming CDC sponsored events, visit http://www.bucknell.edu/x2573.xml or The BRIDGE through myBucknell.
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