Wrriten for The Argo by Faith Freeman.

On Thursday Oct. 8, from 10 A.M.. to 2 P.M. in the Big Blue Sports Center at Stockton University, students eagerly entered into the career fair. High heels clicked on the floor and boys adjusted their suits. The Stockton University Career and Internship Fair allows students the chance to meet different employers, which could lead them to their future job or internship.

The common thing that students stated they learned was the power of asking questions to these recruiters and how it is important to show your interest in the program or job that you want. Students get used to showcasing their skills and communicating why they deserve certain positions.

Megan Johnson—a first year freshman student who is studying visual arts with a concentration in secondary certification—says the career fair is one of her favorite events and that it helps her find lots of opportunities. She is looking to be a visual arts teacher and was looking at education jobs or art jobs. She learned about a job for an art museum, which looked for the skills of somebody who has experience in making professional art displays and someone who is able to professionally display their work and create lots of graphic online content for them as well.

“The hiring expectations can be kind of hard because a lot of these jobs look for experiences as well as you to have your degree or even a certification,” Johnson said. The advice she gives is to build up your resume and your skills and experience. “There are definitely some entry roles available but you have to work hard and be able to show why you qualify over other candidates. Art is a very broad major and is needed in a good amount of fields.”

Ryan Frost, a talent acquisition specialist at Alliance Health Systems, spoke about the skills and experience employers look for when hiring students. He helps with recruiting people and also advertising for the company. The skills he said are needed to work for them is someone who is organized as well as someone who knows how to lead someone.

Frost also added that “his team is mainly looking for people who have a lot of experience in human resources and PR.” The hiring process is that you will have to go through two rounds of interviews, start training and then if they like you they hire you. “There are a few internships available and they are all very competitive.” Ryan Frost also states that he loves his job and he’s looking to work with motivated and hardworking students.

Even if some students did not gain a job or internship, the career fair gave students the opportunity to connect with potential employers, showcase their skills and explore different career paths they may not have previously considered. More information on the Career Education and Development Center can be found here.