By Nicole Stewart Staff Reporter
Walking into the Olsen Student Center on the Monday morning after spring break, students found tables set up with businesses participating in UMF’s Career Fair. Each table had a spokesperson willing to talk to students as they walked by.
Students who participated in the event received a list of the companies at the fair, with a packet containing descriptions of the place, what positions they were looking for, and what majors best suited the job.
Students had bright smiles and were eager to learn about companies and organizations in Maine that were hiring positions for part-time, full time or summer employment. The Career Fair was a great opportunity for students to interact with places outside of Farmington and expand their horizons elsewhere in Maine.
Cyndi McShane, a Counselor in the Career Center, was in charge of the fair that has been going on for nearly 20 years. McShane believes that attending the Career Fair is a great learning experience for students.
“Even if you are not really looking for a job at the fair, if you talk to an employer, you become more familiar with talking with employers,” said McShane. “You get more skills in networking, and working a fair like that, shaking hands, introducing yourself. It’s a really great opportunity just to see what’s out there.”
Junior Kyleigh Roberts, an Elementary Education major who attended the fair, found it to be beneficial. “The Career Fair is wonderful because it gives you in the insights you need into future options,” she said. “Even if it’s a summer position, it’ll get you where you need to be.”
Senior Angelica Levy, a Psychology major with a minor in Rehab, found that applying for a job after college can be a bit terrifying. Levy admits that the Career Fair provided opportunities she did not think about before.
“The Career Fair is very broad, which is awesome. I think that helps,” said Levy, who originally attended to find jobs related to mental healthcare, but found herself talking to some of the summer camps that were there.
As for the future of the Career Fair, Roberts hopes that they will continue to be the same number of businesses involved. “I think it’s wonderful for college students to have [the Career Fair] brought to us because sometimes, it gets so busy that we just forget about jobs and everything,” said Roberts. “But this is a great way to remind us how important it is to be branching out.”
The Career Services Office offers one on one meetings for students who want to discuss plans for their career after college. “It’s one of many opportunities Career Services give students to help them think about their future,” said McShane.
Career Services is hosting is a College to Career panel on April 12th, 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Landing. “It is a panel of a whole bunch of different employers or alumni, people who work in different industries talking about how they left college and came into their careers,” said McShane. Students who are thinking about the next step after college are encouraged to attend the event.