By Alina Rezepova, Contributing Writer
From the very first year of study, every student begins to think about what awaits him after graduation. This is a constant concern for current students, especially juniors and seniors.
To help students prepare for life after graduation, Saint Leo University hosted its annual Business Day on March 12, 2025, at the Canon Memorial Library. The event featured a Career Fair from 2 to 4 p.m., during which more than 20 company representatives from industries like marketing, accounting, education, and IT connected with Tapia College of Business (TCOB) students to share opportunities and recruit future graduates.
Inspiration, new opportunities, and excitement filled the atmosphere when students, faculty, speakers, and company representatives gathered for the annual Business Day. This event is an opportunity for students to express themselves and communicate with experienced specialists, where they will discover new opportunities and meet successful business people. Dozens of company representatives came to the university to tell students about their companies and organizations, as well as to attract future graduates to work in one of them.
At this event, companies and organizations presented their vacancies for future graduates, as well as internships for students and just an opportunity to gain experience. There was close contact between students and employers, as each student could personally communicate with a representative of a company and establish professional contacts. Students could also leave their resume for subsequent consideration by the employer and ask all the questions they were interested in.
Many recruiters have noted that their goal is to find ambitious students who are ready to enter the labor market in the near future.
“We are here to find ambitious students who want to enter the job market,” said Jeremy Quellhorst, a representative from Waffle House.
Chris Carreiro, a representative from IFAS Extension (University of Florida), highlighted the value of student engagement at the event.
“Our company actively interacts with students to broaden their horizons in the field of scientific research in business, as well as to attract domestic students to an internship followed by consideration for employment,” said Carreiro.
This event focused not only on typical business industries such as the promotion of well-known brands like Coca-Cola or Mountain Dew. Representatives of these companies also attended the Career Fair this year. But in general, the Career Fair is aimed at students learning about smaller companies that require employees in the business field.
Often, many students who study for a business degree have the misconception that after they receive their bachelor’s or master’s degree, they will not have enough opportunities to get a well-paid job, but this is not the case.
Luke Erny, a representative from Clear Defense Pest Control, a company that provides insect, rodent, and other pest control, said his company is looking for students ready to practice sales and services this summer.
“I would recommend this job for every young business student; it teaches great skills such as communication, customer service, and drive while rewarding a strong work ethic,” Erny said.
This company is not as well-known as Coca-Cola, but it is also looking for talented people to promote its business.
More than two-thirds of the companies that visited the university this year offered internships and subsequent employment only to domestic students; however, they did not offer the same opportunities to international students. About one-third of the companies that attended the event hired international students for internships and jobs for the future.
“My main goal of attending this event was to find an internship for the summer,” said Aigerim Valiyeva, a student in economics. “I have given my resume to three companies, and now I am waiting for their further decision.”
During Valiyeva’s studies at Saint Leo University, she attended Business Day twice, and she said each time she met interesting people who shared important information about doing business.
“It is worth it,” Valiyeva said.
Students often wonder why they should attend Business Day and how they should conduct themselves appropriately. Internships are not the only reason students should attend the event.
“Students, especially those who study in the business field, should attend this event to get to know people who run businesses and have been in the business field for some time [because]they can get important advice from professionals,” said Justin Henderson, a representative from Enterprise Mobility.
Henderson said students should approach representatives of interested companies and declare themselves, as well as give their curriculum vitae (CV) and leave contact information so that the company can get to know the applicant in more detail.
Attending career fairs allows students to not only find suitable career opportunities but also to gain valuable experience in interacting with professionals, which contributes to their personal and professional growth.
