Students and local employers can interact with one another in an event on campus.

The Office of Career Services is hosting the annual “Part-Time Job Fair” on Thursday, Aug. 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Student Union Breezeway.

“We are going to have about 40 or so companies set up tables in the union breezeway,” said Craig Marinello, manger of student employment and internship development. “The event is designed to provide part-time, off-campus job opportunities with local companies here in Hammond and the surrounding areas.”

The event will feature representatives from a variety of companies looking to hire students. “More often than not, they will work with the student’s schedule and provide accommodations for them knowing the amount of responsibilities they have to tend to on campus,” said Marinello. “It gives students opportunity to come when they are not in class and be able to visit and interact with these different companies. The employers come here in a little more relaxed environment, so the students don’t have to get dressed up in a suit or any sort of fancy clothes at the end of August.”

Students will have the chance to interact with the companies on their own time, without having to go through any sort of online applications. Marinello said this lets students meet a possible employer face-to-face, which can act as a catalyst in hiring process.

“I know that there are plenty of students who have great face-to-face skills or great interpersonal communication skills,” explained Marinello. “The opportunity to actually shake hands, present your resume to an actual human being and have them answer questions right there on the spot is invaluable. It speeds up the hiring process enormously because you get to actually get to meet the people doing the hiring.”

Employers are also benefitted from face-to-face interactions to determine if students posses the valuable skills they are looking for.

“When these companies come onto campus, they are looking for motivated and passionate student-leaders who are willing to work hard. Keep in mind, these are companies,” discussed Marinello. “They aren’t looking for folks who are not just looking to sit down and make money. They want students who want to work and learn new skills. Employers want people who want to give their very best and have a desire to get better. Those were also the sorts of things I thought were very important for when I sat down and hired folks in previous lines of work.”

Marinello expressed the advantages that employers and students gain from such job fairs.

“From student’s perspective, it keeps them from having to go online and search out for random companies and possibly not even getting a response” Marinello said. “We do the ‘Part-Time Job Fair’ every semester because it makes finding a job one less thing they have to worry about. We bring the companies here to make it easier for them. It is a win-win for both parties.”