St. Joseph’s University, New York held spring career fairs on its Long Island and Brooklyn Campuses in March. Both events offered students an opportunity to practice their networking skills, meet with potential employers and expand their understanding of the job market.
SJNY’s career and professional development leaders want students see the big picture as they begin their career search. Matt Skolnick, LMSW, assistant director in Long Island, and Kristen Murphy, associate director in Brooklyn, are instilling in students that opportunities exist everywhere, no matter an organization’s focus.
“One of the most common pieces of feedback we received from students was that they were excited to learn that our employer partners had such a wide variety of opportunities available. For example, everyone knows that a hospital like Northwell or Stony Brook hires nurses, but what they don’t often realize is that they often have positions in business, accounting, IT, HR, etc.,” Skolnick said. “Feedback like that from students is a great example of how our internship and job fairs prepare students in different ways. For many, it is a secure an internship or job fair, but it is also a job market education fair, a career exploration fair, and a practice networking and speaking with employers fair.”
Employers Come to SJNY
On March 4, SJNY students convened in the John A. Danzi Athletic Center in Patchogue. Companies from all over Long Island were in attendance. These included the Imagine Early Learning Center, New York State Department of Civil Service, New York University (NYU) Langone and the United States Secret Service to name just a few.
Brooklyn students met with potential employers from across a range of industries.
Another organization, Variety Child Learning Center, came to SJNY to find interns as well as full-time employees.
“Currently, I am looking for both interns and new hires that are driven and have patience to work with some of our children,” said Courtney Scholl, talent acquisition specialist at the Variety Child Learning Center. Human Resources Manager Stephanie Bonilla added that the organization needed professionals in the education field who could work with special education students.
A student visits with company representatives on the Patchogue campus.
Brooklyn’s fair was held on March 26 inside The Hill Center. More than 50 companies and organizations participated across a range of industries. Employers came from the private sector, government and non-profits, representing fields from health care to law enforcement to education, among others. Exhibitors also included SJNY alumni who were present with their respective organizations, including Ridgewood Savings Bank, the Diocese of Brooklyn, Hellenic Classical Charter School and NADAP, Inc.
According to Murphy, the Brooklyn event was designed so students could speak with a core group of quality employers.
“The job and internship fair was a huge success—it was filled with meaningful connections with employers, exciting opportunities and our amazing students showcasing how talented they are,” Murphy said.
On both campuses, students in attendance included seniors through first-years.
Next Opportunities
Upcoming career and professional development events at St. Joseph’s University, New York include:
Brooklyn—Virtual session on non-clinical careers in health care (open to all majors). Scheduled for April 15 from 6-7 p.m., a panel of industry experts will discuss their roles in areas such as revenue management, supply chain and project management. Sign up here.
Long Island—Universal Pre-K Open Interview Night. Students and alumni are offered a chance to interview for lead and co-teacher positions located in six Long Island Public School Districts. To attend, sign up here.
