Finding a job for the summer can sometimes be a burden, but for students at 麻豆精选, it鈥檚 easier when the employment prospects come to you. Students and professionals gathered on the second floor of the Kent Student Center on Feb. 6 to kickstart their connections and discuss opportunities for this summer.
Organizations like Target, Cedar Point, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, numerous nonprofits, agencies and more were represented at the fair.
鈥淲e really want to make sure that students get connected with opportunities that are of interest to them,鈥 Keturah Kneuss, assistant director of Career Exploration and Development said, 鈥渁nd with employees that are interested in hiring 麻豆精选students.鈥
With sponsors like , a full-service home solution company with four sub-brands, Career Exploration and Development was able to host more than 40 organizations on campus.
鈥淲e鈥檙e heavily investing in our early talent as Leaf Home grows over the next couple years, [and] we wanted to establish a formalized internship program for the years to come,鈥 said Tiranee Brunnet, regional recruiting manager at Leaf Home. 鈥淭hat way we can help students get a kickstart on their career.鈥
Among other employers, Leaf Home is currently offering a myriad of internships in areas including marketing, supply chain, human resources, mechanical engineering, communications and journalism. The company also is offering opportunities in Cleveland and New York depending on students鈥 interests.
Kneuss said Career Exploration and Development connects with employers primarily through Handshake, a popular job platform for college students.
Students can use to see which employers have a profile on the platform.
鈥淭here are so many companies and positions out there that you have no way of knowing about,鈥 said Corey Thur, corporate recruiter at Leaf Home. 鈥淪o, it鈥檚 really nice to chat with people from there and learn about the different types of roles there are.鈥
Even students who didn鈥檛 initially see the value were pleasantly surprised by what the fair had to offer.
鈥淚 really wasn鈥檛 interested in coming at first because I want to be a lawyer and I thought 鈥榯here鈥檚 nothing here about being a lawyer,鈥 LaTaesia Snyder, first-year philosophy major, said. 鈥淏ut then I got here, and there were some fun things I could do over the summer.鈥
The fair not only supports and benefits the students, but it is also an opportunity for organizations to grow and recruit.
鈥淲e鈥檙e looking to get about 100 troopers to join our cadet class coming up in March,鈥 said Sergeant Adam Shonk from the Ohio State Highway Patrol. 鈥淲e鈥檙e looking for anyone between the ages of 20 to 39 years old. We鈥檙e looking for self-motivated individuals. We want people who have a good work ethic, are willing to go out and have an understanding and compassion for people.鈥
Career Exploration and Development will host another internship and job fair on March 19 in the Kent Student Center Ballroom anticipating nearly 70 companies to attend.
鈥淭here will be all kinds of opportunities including professional opportunities for after college, internships for the upcoming year, and some part-time opportunities as well,鈥 Kneuss said.