This past Thursday, students flocked into the Finneran Pavilion in their blazers and sport coats, despite the heat wave, for the semi-annual Career Fair. The Career Fair is typically held at the beginning of each semester as a way for Villanova students and alumni to connect with companies that are hiring. This year, the fair featured 152 booths of different companies hiring for full-time jobs, part-time jobs and internship positions.
The Career Fair is organized by Villanova’s Career Center, which is located in Garey Hall, Suite 117. It serves as a resource for Villanova students seeking guidance on present or future career and employment decisions.
According to the statement on its website, its “mission is to provide high quality, comprehensive career services, empowering members of the Villanova University community to choose and attain personally rewarding careers.”
The Career Center advises students to use Handshake as a platform for receiving information regarding on-campus events and employment opportunities. The 2023 Fall Career Fair was posted on Handshake as a way to spread information to the students. This information included which companies would be attending, how to dress, what to bring and when the fair would take place.
Economics major Julie Soutter found the event on Handshake and used the company list to proactively make a list of companies of interest.
“I thought the Career Fair was extremely helpful and allowed me to connect face-to-face with alumni and employees,” Soutter said. “[It] provided me with a holistic view on some of the companies I’ve researched and really brought to life company culture.”
Other students heard about the fair from an email sent out to students from the Career Center.
In the email, Career Center staff member Alex Karlesses said that the fair was the “largest recruiting event of the season.”
Karlesses also added that the fair was to include “roles in education, client services, human resources, business, sales, consulting and more.” Examples of these companies included the FBI, Moderna, Comcast, PwC and Teach for America.
Having a wide range of companies in attendance allowed both students and alumni to explore different opportunities based on their interests and majors.
“As an environmental studies major, I was a little nervous to attend the Career Fair because I thought it was only for business [and] economics students,” junior Ryenn Engles said. “Although a majority of the companies there were business-focused, I was able to talk to a few people about their sustainability departments. Additionally, there were a few environmental consulting companies present, which was pleasantly surprising.”
“I found it very helpful to be able to speak to different companies and see what they look for in new employees [and] interns,” sophomore Val Berishaj said. “Many of the companies had Villanova alumni which was also helpful knowing that they were once in my shoes and also looking for jobs. Every company I spoke to asked for my resume and gave me very useful general information, as well as information to apply for internships.”’
“All in all, I do not regret going to the Career Fair, and I do think it was helpful to have the opportunity to talk to employers about their internship opportunities in person,” Engles said. “However, I don’t think I would have been at a disadvantage to other students in my major if I did not attend the fair.”
While most students gained helpful information from the fair, it was not a mandatory event for students. If one wanted to go and was unable to attend, they can review the companies on Handshake, make an appointment with the Career Center or wait until the spring to attend the next Career Fair.
