The largest Career Day in the University’s history was held in the OceanFirst Bank Center on Wednesday, Nov. 2. Over 120 companies and over 350 students and alumni attended the event sponsored by the Career Services Office.
Jeffrey Mass, Assistant Director of Career Services, said there was a six percent increase compared to last year. “Career Services is very happy with both student and employer turnout, but we never want to stop trying to improve the event,” said Mass. “Someday I would like to see 150 employers visit the campus.”
The University had various companies attend Career Day for the first time including: Canon Solutions America; Department of Children and Families; Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories; New Jersey State Parole Board; Open Systems Technology; PNC Bank; Simon & Schuster; NJ Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services; Toll Brothers; United Methodist Communities; and USA Today.
According to Mass, the Office of Career Services strives to invite a diverse group of employers in order to offer a range of opportunities for all majors.
Renee Theobald, a physician recruiter at Hackensack Meridian Health, said, “We are looking for students with motivation and eagerness to start their career in a company, and we saw those qualities in people today. Students have to prove that they are go getters,” said Theobald.
Danielle Helmilinger, a recruiter and training specialist from Advancing Opportunities Inc. hoped to fill vacant positions within the company. This was Helmilinger’s second visit to Career Day and she was beyond impressed of how many resumes she had received this year compared to last year.
According to Mass, Career Day provides an amazing opportunity to meet potential employers and to acquire more knowledge about career related options in a student’s field of study. To make the most out of Career Day, students are able to view the list of employers that are attending ahead of time on the University’s Career Services page. Mass suggests that students make a list of the employers and complete research on the company that they are interested in talking to. Mass said students should, “Put time and effort into planning their “elevator pitch.”
Zareen Shueib a senior business management student has visited Career Day multiple times. She said, “Career Day has been consistent every year I visited but I also have discovered great new companies every time.” This year she visited companies like Toll Brothers, Sterling Jewelers and many others.
Zareen did not plan on applying to Sterling Jewelers, but she claimed that a representative recruited her to the table and easily talked her into applying for an entry level position. “Students should have a background knowledge of companies they are interested in, but they should also be open minded about considering other corporations,” she said. Simply talking to employers, asking questions and picking up informational brochures can indeed take a person a long way.
Evan Watson, a junior business marketing student attended Career Day for the first time this year. “I applied at three different tables for internships related to advertising,” he said. Watson strongly recommends that students looking for internships or jobs should create a resume and print several copies to bring to Career Day along with creating a LinkedIn profile.
To successfully prepare for Career Day in the future Mass recommends that students can visit the Career Services office and get great tips on interviewing skills, or participate in a “mock interview,” job search strategies, resume and cover letter construction, and more. “The staff there will help them build the confidence needed to succeed,” said Mass.
