In today’s economic turmoil, landing a job is difficult, but Career Services provided students with the opportunity to meet local employers through the Part-Time Job Fair to improve their chances.
The fair was held last Thursday, Aug. 23, in the Student Union Mall from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The union was filled with booths from over 40 different organizations creating a casual atmosphere for students to meet potential employers.
“I think it is interesting and a very good idea,” said Brandi Roberts, a freshmen majoring in English education and biology. “I know a lot of students who are looking for jobs and many of them just don’t know where to start, and we just don’t have the time to research that.”
The Part-Time Job Fair is held once every semester, usually one on Thursday of the first full week of school and one in April. Career Services has been hosting the Part-Time Job Fair since 2005.
“All in all, we’ve done this like 15 times, and it’s gone exceptionally well,” said Keri Truitt, assistant director of Career Services. “I think students really need to find part-time jobs, and it has only served to help them earn money to stay in school.”
The program of recruiting organizations included Bass Pro Shops, Fundamentals Early Learning Center, Firehouse Subs, Mary Kay Cosmetics and the NASA DEVELOP Program. While there was a variety of employers available, some students found their choices to be limited.
“The tables I visited were Gap, Lowes, Mary Kay and Firehouse,” said Jessie Nimox, a sophomore majoring criminal justice. “These were all jobs I found interesting, but they just didn’t fit me.”
While many students have at least a few scholarships, many find there is a gap between how much they owe or need to spend and how much they are receiving.
“My scholarships aren’t enough to cover about $375 a semester and on top of that, I don’t have a car,” said Roberts. “So I’m saving up for transportation.”
Roberts visited booths from the Student Government Association and the Fundamentals Early Learning Center.
Even if school and housing is paid for, there are still the smaller expenses of college life such as food, clothes, phone bills, entertainment and other necessities.
“At this time I’m currently bill-less,” said Jarred Ott, a freshmen majoring in accounting. “I need the money so that I can pay for college related expenses or if my friends and I decide to go out to eat or have a night on the town.”
Many students take on an endless variety of financial responsibilities after graduating high school.
“I have a phone bill and a dog that I have to pay for grooming and feeding, as well as kids I sponsor in other countries,” said Roberts. “I can also only eat organic foods, so I have to buy most of my own food because I can’t eat in the cafeteria usually.”
Despite the job opportunities presented, many students were searching for on-campus jobs due to a lack of transportation.
“Even though I did not really benefit from the fair, it was a great way to promote a tough job market and shows that. Though it may be tough to find a job, companies are still looking to hire,” said Ott. “It provided valuable resources to those who can get a job off-campus.”
Overall, students agree the Part-Time Job Fair is a helpful event which they would like to see more often.
“They should do this more often,” said Nimox. “A lot of kids on campus don’t really know the different types of jobs the community has to offer.”