Monmouth’s Career Development will host their Fall 2023 Career and Internship Fair on Wednesday, Oct. 4, from 1p.m. to 4 p.m. in the OceanFirst Bank Center.
This event is a great opportunity that is open to students of all majors and alumni. Jeff Mass, Director of Employer Engagement said, “The central goal of this, or any career day, is to give students the opportunity to meet and network with many employers in person and one location at a time.”
The plethora of companies and organizations attending are searching to hire interns and employees and this event allows students to meet employers face-to-face, which is a bonus.
“This year, we are excited to host the Career and Internship Fair on the arena floor of the OceanFirst Bank Center where we will be welcoming many new employers to campus, including Church & Dwight, Merck, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Quest Diagnostics”, according to Harry Termyna, Career Coach for Career Development. “ These employers, along with over 100 others are promoting expanded opportunities, including internships and full-time positions across multiple industries,” said Termyna.
For students debating whether to attend the fair or not, Mass added, “We think it’s important for students to attend events like this so they can maximize their contacts for internships and full-time career opportunities and learn about what jobs are out in the market.”
In addition to the over 100 employers attending, this year will also feature for the first time the Share Your Baggage Career Closet Pop-Up Shoppe. This pop-up shoppe is sponsored by Lambda Pi Eta, the Communication Honor Society at Monmouth.
“Jeff Mass in Career Development has been so supportive of our efforts and has welcomed us to the university-wide event. We are anticipating 550 early-career Hawks to attend the event,” said Rebecca Sanford, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Communication.
This pop-up shoppe offers students free professional attire and accessories for them to take home. It was created through donations from Monmouth University colleagues and friends. This will be the second career closet pop-up shoppe to take place on campus, after the first one took place last spring during the Communication Department Career Event.
The shoppe is similar to what a thrift store might seem like, which is a growing trend today, but also contains a deeper meaning. “The idea of thrift shopping, especially for quality pieces with timeless style, is gaining popularity as we collectively realize how much environmental damage and worker exploitation are inherent in the fast fashion industry,” said Sanford.
The initiative for a pop-up shoppe like this to take place on Monmouth’s campus came to be after a seemingly unrelated conversation. “I had a conversation with Professor Claude and Ms. Bobbie Edgar about trying to find the perfect work bag,” Sanford said. “We discussed how many bags we had tried over the years that weren’t perfect for us, that we had owned too long to return or exchange, that were still in great condition and may be a perfect fit for someone else. Professor Taylor leads the First To Fly program and we discussed ways that maybe all those bags that we—and probably our colleagues to—had collected could get into the hands of students who could use them,” Sanford explained.
The shoppe proved to be helpful to many students last spring. “We received donations of 100+ scarves, 50+ bags, 18 neckties, and much more. At least 36 students left our ‘shoppe’ with totes and accessories, and we distributed 42 career search survival kits,” said Sanford. This was great success considering it was the first shoppe event to take place on campus and only involved one department at the time.
According to Sanford, students should stop by the shoppe for numerous reasons. “Exciting and beneficial to students? How about free brand-new or very gently used handbags, accessories, and totes by Tory Burch, Kate Spade, Coach, Michael Kors, Dooney & Bourke, and more….absolutely free?” she said.
She explained that this shoppe is excellent for students looking to upgrade their professional wardrobes to set themselves apart and impress employers.
Sanford also included, “Maybe you didn’t think to pack a jacket and tie with your dorm supplies and need one for this event or for a future interview? We can help, free! Maybe you are an early-career Hawk who has the basics in your professional wardrobe but doesn’t have the paycheck for many accessories yet? We can help, free! Maybe you’re getting your professional headshot for your LinkedIn profile at the Career Fair and need a tie or accessory for that? We can help, free, and we’ll be next to the photo area!”
The overall goal of this pop-up shoppe, “serves to meet student needs on campus, supported by our campus community and friends, and during an event that spotlights our Hawks moving into their lives after Monmouth,” Sanford concluded.
