Over 30 employers came and attended Saint Leo University’s Spring Career Fair on Mar. 28, allowing the student body to reach out and show them what they have to offer in today’s workforce. Companies such as Citi Financial, USAA, Geico Insurance, and everybody’s beloved Waffle House, had tables set up hoping to have that connection with devoted students looking for a career.
Many of these companies are nationwide, but the focus was on the many regional and local branches allowing students to have the luxury of these big names come to them. Also, a bonus to Saint Leo students is that many of the companies brought in to the fall and spring career fairs, is that they tend to include Saint Leo alumni.
“We want to give the students the best chance possible at getting that job or internship,” said Jennifer Utroska, an assistant with career planning.
Utroska says that they like to focus more on the alumni and department specific employers because it allows for a more connected engagement between employer and student. She also stated that many of the internships that become available with these career fairs could turn into college credits towards a student’s degree.
So what if an employer reaches out and wants to conduct an interview with a student that they met during these career fairs? Don’t worry, Career Planning has the student in mind.
“If an employer calls us and says they would like to meet with a student, then we turn our office space into their office space,” said Utroska. “We understand that not every student can travel to the employer due to classes, money, or car situations, so we bring the employer to them. We lend out our conference rooms so the student and employer can have a one-on-one interview.”
Services like these are the norm for Career Planning. Resume building, professional development workshops, etiquette dinners, and networking through LinkedIn, are all things that Career Planning will do to help students get an edge in today’s society.
But many of the students who attend these career fairs say that there isn’t much in terms of their major at these events.
“It’s more geared towards business majors, which is great for them, but not everybody wants to go into finance or accounting,” said Reid Thomas, a sophomore student majoring in criminal justice.
“We take all of that and use it to think outside of the box as to how to get different types of employers to our events,” said Kaila Sanders, a student employee for Career Planning. “I am in charge of student feedback and recruitment. I like to reach out and see what the students want, and then I give that information to Rob and Matt. We do our best to reach as many disciplines as possible, but if there is an alumni, or an employer actively comes to us, they get first dibs.”
From resume building, to interviews, to possible job opportunities, do not be afraid to reach out for help with Career Planning. Their mission is to give students the best chance possible, and help students grow into the successful person that they can be. So whether a student is a senior looking for that
breakthrough opportunity, or a freshman just trying to get the hang of things, Saint Leo’s Career Planning team is working hard for them.
