Local and regional businesses got the chance to talk with students about possible employment during the summer. Jonathan Rhodes/The Lion’s Roar

The “Part-Time Job Fair” organized by the Office of Career Services is a chance for students to find either a job or internship for the summer. In between classes, students had the opportunity to talk with employers about what their plans are for the future.

Over 35 local and regional employers talked to students to see how they communicate and if they are ready to join the workforce.

“With Chick-fil-A, our number one thing is going to be customer service,” said HR Director of Chick-fil-A Devin Buuck-Whitfield. “So, what we are looking for is good eye contact and a smile. If you can hold a conversation easily with me, it makes us think that you can hold a conversation easily with one of our guests who comes in. We really look for the personality first and then we go into the other questions.”

Students are on a mission to find employment for the summer, and some students came dressed to impress and with some knowledge of the businesses they were talking to.

“At the end of the day, I am just looking for someone who will give me money and make life better that way,” said freshman psychology major Shyann Brumfield. “It is very helpful to have this opportunity to look for jobs that I need. They left in just the right amount of information to make me interested.”

Career Services intentionally invited certain businesses to accommodate the students’ interest and their desire to stay close to home.

“We invite local and regional companies and organizations who seek to hire multiple part-time and internship positions,” said Office of Career Services Assistant Director Brittany Bacques. “Since we have so many students attending the event, eager to find employment, we hope that participating employers would like to hire more than one of our outstanding students. Also, the reason we invite local and regional employers is because we understand that many of our students need a job that they can easily have while taking classes and will be accommodating with their schedules. Many of our students also commute from their homes, and so we like to have a variety of employers ranging from the Northshore areas, New Orleans, and Baton Rouge.”

Students can still get part-time jobs with the help of the Career Services if they missed the “Part-Time Job Fair” through the website LionHire and other opportunities that the office provides.

“There is also another part-time job fair every August,” said Bacques. “We are happy to provide these part-time fairs twice a year to the student body in order to give a convenient way for them to network and meet face-to-face with employers who are hiring. Students have multiple opportunities to locate and apply for part-time jobs.”