Torero Talent Job and Internship Fair

As students settle into the semester at the University of San Diego, the question of summer plans begin to creep up again, like an assignment that is never quite finished. The newly revamped Career Development Center (CDev) has given many students the opportunity to plan for the future and find opportunities related to their fields of study.

Last week, CDev hosted the Torero Talent Job and Internship Fair, which advertised more than 100 employers seeking USD students to fill positions in their companies. Many students attend such events each semester, and CDev works diligently to appeal to students of all majors across campus.

Niki Barrios, Career Events Coordinator at CDev, explained that all USD job and internship fairs try to balance the companies represented.

“All of our fairs limit the number of companies who can come from specific industries to make sure that there are many opportunities,” Barrios said. “There are different Torero Treks for different majors and individual programs put on by counselors that advise specific groups.”

There are 11 career counselors employed by CDev, including those who specialize in assisting science, technology, engineering, and math majors,  international and graduate students, business and College of Arts and Sciences majors, and engineering students.

CDev reported that 385 students attended this semester’s job and internship fair, a 21 percent increase from last fall’s fair. 72 employers were present to meet student  attendees.

According to U.S. News and World Report (U.S. News) rankings, USD’s most popular majors of 2015 include business management, marketing and related support services, social sciences, biological and biomedical sciences and psychology. 43 percent of 2015 graduates hold degrees in business, management, and marketing and related support services, while only 11 percent of recent graduates hold degrees in social sciences.

USD has a large and reputable business school that attracts many students seeking business-related opportunities upon graduation.

According to USD’s Career Outcomes website, about 40 percent of 2014-2015 graduates are employed full-time in a business-related industry: 15 percent in marketing, sales, and consumer products, 13 percent in finance and banking, and 12 percent in accounting/auditing.

68 percent of these graduates participated in an internship during their time at USD.

Junior Mallory Banner works for CDev as a Marketing Ambassaros, and enjoys learning more about career development and helping students.

“I love working at CDev because I get to help put on and market the events that connect students to their future jobs,” Banner said.

While many students look forward to the job and internship fairs hosted by CDev, others feel that their majors are not always well represented.

Senior Claire Flynn is finishing her degree in environmental studies with a minor in sociology. Flynn expressed that she did not attend the career fair due to her disappointment with previous program offerings related to her major.

“It makes sense why the career fair is business-centered, but it doesn’t make sense why it feels like it’s only directed toward the business majors,” Flynn said. “It’s frustrating to be in the College of Arts and Sciences and getting a liberal arts degree but to not have similar networking experiences and opportunities. It seems like the jobs that offer on-campus interviews, Target, FactSet, Geico, and Adobe, are looking for business, finance, and other analytic majors.”

According to the CDev’s website, only five companies at this semester’s job and internship fair were looking for students like Flynn, who are studying environmental studies or sociology. All of these San Diego companies were open to all majors. One company listed, Cali Bamboo, is seeking sales and account representatives, while another listing for the San Ysidro Health Center is looking to hire those with experience in the medical field or information technology.

Alana Hollenbaugh, a senior studying English, creative writing, and theology, planned to attend last week’s Torero Talent event but decided against it.

“I looked up online what companies were going to be there, and only two were interested in hiring an English major,” Hollenbaugh said. “The County of San Diego and the YMCA were both open to any major, but I didn’t feel like it was worth my time to go to the fair if there weren’t any companies who would be interested in my skills.”

CDev has scheduled many events over the duration of the semester that include most majors. There are a variety of Torero Treks, resume and interview workshops, and other events that CDev offers for a variety of majors.

According to its website, in the past year, CDev has held 1,818 individual career counseling sessions and supported 52 summer internships with $2,000 each.

While some students may not feel represented by CDev, others feel that their resources produce great results for a variety of students. It is clear that the Career Development Center works hard to provide opportunities to students all over campus, and it will continue to do so as they expand.

 

Written by Kelly Kennedy, Feature Editor