By snoadmin
A large army of employers clad in their business suits and armed with brochures, pamphlets, and the ability to give students the jobs of their dreams, took over the University Student Union ballroom Tuesday for the Spring Job Fair.
With more than 180 employers participating in the two-day event, employers, students and members of the Career Development Center were impressed by the large number in attendance.
“Luckily for the students, things are picking up,” said Phyllis Milani, Career Development Center coordinator of career events. “The economy is picking up, people are retiring, and the job market is pretty good right now. Since more employers are looking for students, I would have to assume that there is an increase in positions. A lot of the baby boomer generation is retiring in the next five years, so there will be a lot of openings, and not only will there be a lot of openings but upward mobility will be a lot quicker. So your chances of getting a job and getting promoted will be better.”
Employers like Brinderson, an engineering, construction and maintenance company, were also impressed with the number of other employers and students involved in the event.
Twenty-five-year-old William Ramirez, an operating management major, was among the many students looking for career opportunities.
“I’m a graduating senior, and I definitely need a job,” Ramirez said. “This job fair is pretty useful. I used the Career Development Center Web site beforehand too to look up the companies. I definitely advise other students to go to events like these. They’re a good way to get your name out there. And once you submit your résumé, many of the companies here also have an easy way to contact them for a follow up, which is convenient.”
Job opportunities from the 196 employers participating in the job fair ranged anywhere from government jobs for the County of Los Angeles, to marketing jobs for well-known companies like Disney, Target and Hyatt Hotels.
“A job fair is kind of like one stop shopping, you could never see all of these employers on your own, and for the most part, our employers return and they are very impressed with our students. What they see is that our students have work ethic, because so many of them already work,” Milani said. “In many of the Ivy League schools, the students are there on a scholarship or mom and dad are paying and they really haven’t work. And here we have a great diversity of working students here, so for the Southern California area, I think we are one of the most popular campuses for job fairs, for students as well as employers.”
The job fair will continue from noon to 4 p.m. today in the University Student Union Ballroom.
