Loyola career fair deemed a success
Posted by angelanhanna on March 29, 2010
By Angela Hanna
In the midst of a weak economy and dim job market, Loyola University Chicago’s recent Spring Career Fair was deemed a success by organizers, employers and students seeking jobs.
Gentile Center buzzing with anxious career hopefuls and representatives of 72 different organizations.
“We’re always looking for talented people,” said Target Store Team Leader, Kristin Syon, 25. “Loyola students were great today, very professional. We have definitely found people in the past from here who conform to our values and we will continue to in the future.”
Students came armed to the Thursday career fair with resumes in hand and dressed in their professional gear.
”The career fair was good this year,” said Elizabeth Davidson, 20, a sophomore business major. “I gave my resume to a bunch of different companies and organizations. There was a lot of good ones this year, impressive turnout.”
Loyola Employer Relations Director, Marty Ghbauer, 46, has been organizing this event for months. Invitations were sent out to organizations in December, and after three rounds of follow- ups, 72 employers signed up.
The employers consisted of corporations and non-profit companies, and government organizations.
”There were more companies this year than last year, which seems like a sign that the economy’s improving. Hopefully it turns out to be a better job market for our students now,” Ghbauer said.
First time career fair attendee, 19-year-old freshman, Donais Deetz, was excited at all the future prospects the career fair was offering.
“It’s been really nice and so convenient for us students to have all these employers here in one place,” Deetz said. “I was really nervous before I came but I’m glad I did. The employers are not as intimidating as I thought they would be. They were very nice and easy to talk to. This really made me want to stay here in the summer.”
Students and employers were eagerly exchanging information with one another in anticipation of future opportunities.
“It’s a great for Loyola to showcase the talents of our students to employers, and it’s a good way for students to build up their networking skills, build relationships, and lay some ground work for future positions,” Ghbauer said. “It’s great for employers too because they get to give their companies a presence here so that students can reach out to them.
By the time the fair was wrapping up, everyone leaving Gentile had looks of content on their faces.
“So far, I’ve had great feedback from the employer’s here. They’ve been saying our students give a very professional presentation, and one employer went as far as saying they wanted to give them a hug,” said Ghbauer. “All in all, I think it was a great turnout this year. I would definitely say it has been a great success.”
