By Rachel Huser
While the pandemic has caused many to lose their jobs and prevented others from finding one, Dominican students have plenty of people and resources to help them find the job or internship they are looking for.
To start, the Office of Career Development is promoting three virtual job fairs this semester.
The first is Career Fest, the traditional in-person event with 125 employers. This year the event will take place on Handshake on Friday, Feb. 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students can log in to Handshake using their Dominican credentials. The link can be found at careers.dom.edu.
More than 30 employers will be available for students to talk to. Students can sign up to talk one on one with recruiters using Handshake’s video platform, said Keli Wojciechowski, Director of Career Development in an interview on Tuesday, Jan. 26.
“Handshake is very similar to Zoom,” said Wojciechowski.
The second fair is a smaller one, only meant for Dominican students. Maria Guitierrez, Associate Director of Career Development, is organizing it.
This event is new this year and is set for Wednesday, Feb. 24. It is tailored toward seniors interested in healthcare, psychology, social work, criminology, child development and human services.
There will be companies and organizations in attendance that are tailored towards these interests, said Guitierrez in an interview on Friday, Jan. 29.
Five employers have already confirmed their attendance, said Guitierrez. They are looking for forensic scientists, nurses, positions in the Department of Children and Family Services, patient care technician and behavioral technician positions.
The Jewel-Osco corporation will also be in attendance and is looking for store managers.
If this fair goes well, they plan to do more in the summer, said Guitierrez.
The final fair is the Career Expo on Wednesday, March 3. The Expo will also be held through Handshake.
Other than the fairs, the Office of Career Development is increasing their presence on social media.
Starting Jan. 28, every Thursday the Office of Career Development will host an Instagram Live video with four Dominican alums to talk about their opportunities, said Wojciechowski. They will be featured throughout the month of Feb. Three of the four graduated last May. They will speak on how to get jobs and internships during the pandemic, said Guitierrez.
They also post about employers that are hiring. These get added to Handshake too.
“[We’re] meeting students where they’re at,” said Guitierrez.
The Brennan School of Business is also doing everything they can to help business students find internships and jobs during this challenging time.
“I want students to be aware of the opportunities”, said Jamie Shaw, Executive Director of Career Programs and Employer Relations in an interview on Friday.
“Companies are still actively recruiting interns,” said Shaw.
Brennan was able to switch all of their events to virtual this year. The executives in residence are able to meet with students via Zoom or phone. Mock interviews were also able to be done via phone, she said.
Brennan is also hosting Headshots at Home with the Collegiate Business Association via Handshake in place of their in-person event they hold every semester.
The school is also hosting eight virtual company visits this month and next month. All of the visits are located on Handshake. The companies come to introduce themselves, tell students how to stand out as an applicant, and what jobs are available at their company. These visits are an hour and 15 minutes and are open to all students, said Shaw.
Virtual events can make it a little harder to get to know someone. However, Shaw found the switch to virtual somewhat beneficial. It takes up less time, there is no commute, and in some cases, students are finding more hiring opportunities.
“Make sure you are going to events,” said Shaw. “That’s how you get the edge. That’s how you get the job.”
Image courtesy: University Images
rhuser@my.dom.edu
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