Gerhard Fieldhouse was packed to the brim with employers from many companies hoping to speak with students about career and internship opportunities pre- and post-graduation.

Students from all class years flocked to the field house on Feb. 2 to attend the Career Development Center’s  (CDC) Internship & Job Fair. At the event, students made connections with employers from companies such as Capital BlueCross, RSM, and M&T Bank.

Brittany Swanson ’18 went to the Employer Expo this past fall, and came to the Internship & Job Fair prepared.

“I looked on the Bridge [for information about the fair] before I came; there are a couple of places I want to talk to,” Swanson said.

The fair was arranged in a circle spanning the entire length of the field house, with booths from over 55 different companies lining the perimeter. Students could take professional photographs for their LinkedIn pages or simply talk to employers from different companies. Many of the representatives at the event were University alumni. 

“It’s always fun to come back and see fresh and older faces … seeing how everyone and campus itself has changed is really interesting, and it’s always good to make connections with younger generations,” Jeff Church ’12 said.

Church currently works with Ernst & Young, an accounting firm.

“Bucknell made my transition from life back in Ohio to New York City much easier,” Church said. “They’re both very ‘work hard, play hard’ environments, and there’s so much energy.”

Though Gaby Lagana ’18 said that the event was “a good way to practice professionalism,” the majority of companies represented jobs and internships not suitable for all students. Chaerin Chung ’18 said that the fair seemed like it was designed to fit the interests of primarily engineering or finance majors.

“I’m an accounting major, and although there are plenty of opportunities presented for me here, there aren’t many companies that focus on science majors. There aren’t any for the arts majors, at all,” Chung said.

Regardless, the employers at the fair seemed genuinely excited to be there. One representative in particular, David Silver ’97, who works at RSM (formerly known as McGladrey), a provider of audit, tax, and consulting services, shared glowing words about the University’s reputation. 

“Successful people find success no matter what they do. Bucknellians succeed so well, it’s like a butterfly effect; companies find out about the dedication of the student body and can’t wait to hire the new graduates. Students can’t go wrong with what they choose here, because the professors and curriculum are so top-notch,” Silver said.

Over 100 University students have joined RSM in the past five years.

“Bucknell is such a tight community. It’s an immediate connection with others,” Silver said.

Though such connections proved to benefit many at the event, other students, like Christina Lozada ’16, hope that next year the CDC will offer a more diverse Internship & Job Fair.

“I’m a psychology major, and there’s not much for me to do here,” Lozada said.