The Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) is hosting a job and internship Fair from 1-3 p.m. on March 6 in the Library Concourse.

The fair will provide opportunities for students to network with numerous employers and explore their internship and career interests.

“The Job and Internship Fair is an awesome opportunity for students to engage with our employer partners who are there solely to meet UC students,” said Kailea Murray, assistant director of employer relations. “It’s not often that a student has the opportunity to have 50-plus employers in the same room, so it’s just a really great chance to get yourself out there.”

Anthony Brown, a junior, said he found out about the job and internship fair from fliers that he saw in the Strebel Student Center and through his professor, Sarah Garramone, also a career development specialist at the CCPD.

“I think the most important thing in anything is experience,”  Brown said. “An internship will get you that experience.”

Internships are often touted for introducing students to a real-world work environment, honing marketable skills and sometimes leading to employment.

“You have to put yourself in a position to become better qualified,” Brown said. “You also want a good fit, especially.”

The event will also offer students an opportunity to network.

“Networking is important,” Brown said. “If someone is able to vouch for you, especially in Corporate America, because if they can get their foot in the door and established then that’s definitely as important as a degree.”

For some students, this will be the first interaction they have with their future employer.

“It’s a really great chance for students to hand out their resumes and potentially land an internship — or even a job,” Murray said.

Katie Ortiz, also a junior, heard about the fair through email.

“I do plan on getting an internship during this summer, and my program requires me to have an internship during my last semester,” Ortiz said.

Ortiz is similar to some students who know exactly what type of job opportunity they are hoping to find.

“I’m looking for a non-profit internship that works with kids from low-income families, and if they have a disability, I would be more willing to work with them,” Ortiz said.

Ortiz is looking for job opportunities that are not local.

“Hopefully they offer internships nationwide so that there will be higher chances of me doing an internship in D.C.,” she said. “And hopefully it will give me some type of income, even if it is a stipend.”

Jenna Carlesimo, a senior animal behavior major, said her friend who graduated last year told Carlesimo about the fair.

“I know there’s not going to be a lot of internships focused on animal behavior itself,” Carlesimo said. “I’m still interested in going, I’m just not expecting much of it.”

During mid-February, many seniors are anxious to actively begin their job search.

“I’m just looking to see what is there,” Carlesimo said. “I’m open to anything. Any opportunity that’s there. I’m willing to jump.”

Carl Petrus is a senior in the computer science major and thinks the fair is beneficial for employers as well, not just students.  

“Employers get to have a good look at the students that are here, what they’re looking for,” he said. “I feel that it’s a good look for UC as well, being able to bring the employers and the students together under one roof.”

The CCPD provided several workshops during January and February to prepare students for the job fair, including cover letter writing assistance, resume tips and networking advice.

“What interests me about the job fair is when employees are coming to UC to give students a chance to apply for jobs and apply for internships that may pique their interests,” Petrus said. “It allows them to put their foot in the door in the right direction.”

Whether students are matched with jobs and internships or not, they will have a chance to interact with employers who may be able to connect them with the positions they seek.

“I would say the large majority of students find the event a success — it’s really all about networking,” Murray said. “Although you might not land a position on the spot, although some might land an interview, or even a job, it’s a great chance to network with employers, many of which are UC alumni. Leaving a good impression with someone goes such a long way and could eventually turn into a job.”
Check out the CCPD’s website at utica.edu/careerdevelopment for a full list of employers, which is updated daily.