Thursday, March 4, saw the return of Concord University’s annual Career Fair. The fair included representatives and recruiters from over 40 different businesses and establishments. This list included the Greenbrier, the Marine Corps, the Peace Corps, and 59 News, among others.
Usually organized by a class from Concord’s Recreation and Tourism Management program, this year the fair was organized by Bren Yeager, new to Concord University’s Advancement Office. Yeager began putting everything together in November 2015, and ended up with 48 different registered organizations attending.
Among the representatives present were two Concord alumni, Amber Bennett and Kate Armentrout, working for Adventures on the Gorge. Adventures on the Gorge is an establishment that regularly attends the Concord University Career Fair, and students who end up working there come from a variety of majors and usually end up in summer positions while still attending school. “It’s a very fun place to work. We have 569 of some of the most exciting people that you can imagine,” said Bennett, who works in Human Resources.
There were also representatives from several Concord University graduate programs, as well as a representative from Radford University, which offers 22 graduate programs and three doctorate programs in physical therapy, nursing, and psychology.
The Career Fair is a great opportunity for students to branch out and begin to meet contacts and start networking within their desired job fields. However, many of the participants of the career fair seemed to be offering only temporary summer jobs or unpaid internships rather than actual job postings, making it seem ineffectual for graduating seniors seeking jobs and careers come May.
The Career Fair gives students the opportunity to network with potential employers.
Photo by Tsivia Chonoles