Students and Employers Flock to Spring Career Fair

Representatives from a record-setting 131 corporations, agencies and other organizations came to St. John’s University on April 11 for the Spring Career Fair, a now semi-annual event created to introduce students and recent graduates to prospective employers from across the New York metropolitan area.

The Fair, held by University Career Services, also set a new mark for student participation, with 1,077 in attendance. The event took place in the Taffner Field House on the Queens, NY, campus.

“We’re all pleased with the impressive turnout,” said Denise Hopkins, Executive Director of Career Services. “We used to only hold one fair each year, but we received such positive feedback from students and employers that we decided to hold one in the fall and one in the spring. In an economy that’s still recovering, having so many employers attend is a tribute to the quality of our students.”

View a gallery of photos from the Career Fair

This year’s visiting employers included familiar names such as Deloitte, The Madison Square Garden Company, Citibank, Publishers Clearing House and Verizon.  According to event organizers, 27 businesses attended the Career Fair for the first time, including TBWA Worldwide, Time Warner Cable and M & R Hotel Group.

“There are so many amazing companies here—it can be a challenge to know where to begin,” said Nakesha Walker ’13CPS, a Communication Arts major from Chicago, IL. “Fortunately, St. John’s did a great job of preparing me for the job market, so hopefully I can take my career to the next level.”

“It was really excellent,” added Gordon Shine ’13TCB, a marketing major from Newtown, CT. “We got to meet with people from a lot of different companies. It gives students a good feel for the kind of experiences we’ll have when we graduate from St. John’s.”

For Rachel Yuen ’11CPS, the event was a homecoming of sorts. A staffing specialist at NYU Langone Medical Center, she started there with an internship she received through St. John’s. Now a full-time employee, she was happy to return to alma mater. “It’s great to be back, and to be sitting on the other side of the table,” she said. “The students here are very eager. They all want to jump in and start working right away.”

Nadine Rando, a recruiting coordinator with MetLife, also gave high marks to students as well as the University. “The students all handled themselves beautifully,” she said. “They were well-prepared and asked great questions. I was also impressed with Career Services. I’ve been to a lot of career fairs, and this one was run very smoothly.”

University Career Services recently moved into a completely renovated space in Chiang Chin Kuo Hall (CCK). “It’s an exciting time for us,” said Hopkins. “We have our new space in CCK, and we’re bringing new talent. The University has put a lot of resources into career development, so we’re poised to do some great things for our students.”