Job Fair: Helpful To Some, But Lacks Opportunities for Others

Last Wednesday and Thursday, students attended the Job Fair, where several local employers converged in the Siek Campus Center to spread awareness of local job opportunities for students. Employers from places like Home Depot to Mary Kay scouted for potential employees, with representatives answering any questions interested students may have.
“It’s nice that they have this kind of thing every semester”, said Denzel Caldwell, Independent Studies senior. “It makes people think about life after Hudson Valley, and trying to get into the working world, you know?”
Companies even had candy, water bottles, pens and other freebies for interested students. But some students weren’t as thrilled with the opportunities presented at the fair, like Jalon Jones, Individual Studies freshman.

“This is not what I expected, at all…”, said Jones, “I feel like the majority of job fairs here are not really suitable for most college students. They don’t make the jobs easily accessible for people with schedules to work around. These jobs are for like…career choices you know? They aren’t for people trying to get their foot in the door. I think the school itself should offer more job opportunities for students instead of hosting a job fair every semester.” While the school does have the Center for Careers and Counseling, Jones isn’t the only one who feels there’s a lack of opportunities for students to get into the work force.

“There’s plenty of Work- Study positions available”, said Devon Powell, Business Administration Senior, “but for actual, real world jobs that someone like me could qualify for…not so much.” “Or better yet, they should have job fairs for different majors, like one month have a job fair just for business and marketing, and another for more creative majors like art or journalism” said Jones. But for now, the Job Fairs seem to be a service that students appreciate, according to Caldwell.