Galloway, N.J. – Over 1,100 Stockton University students printed out resumes and pulled out their
most professional outfits for a day of networking and pitching at the biannual Career
& Internship Fair on Thursday, Oct. 17, in the Sports Center.
According to Sofia Abreu ’11, director of Career Education & Development (CED), this year’s fair exceeded every goal they set. By 11 a.m., over 300 students
made their way through the doors to weave through the tables of over 120 different
companies. She expressed gratitude for how supportive and enthusiastic companies were
leading up to the fair.
The feeling is mutual – recruiters such as Courtney Jefferson from Spring Oak Senior Living praised the CED team for being a “source of support” for students.
like Computer Information Systems major Mashrur Pasha Pantho.
The recruitment and onboarding specialist led a “Working Wednesdays” workshop in the
Campus Center just a day before and was able to offer words of wisdom and advice on
how to navigate the fair.
“I absolutely loved ‘Working Wednesdays,’ because even if we’re not the right fit
for a student, being able to add value to their resumes, roleplaying interviews and
helping them build confidence as a recruiter keeps me fulfilled,” Jefferson said.
“Right now, we’re looking for students passionate about people and life. We offer
many opportunities for growth, and we’re willing to train. We just need to find the
right fit.”
It’s a great thing that she’ll meet students such as Roberto Vega, a Computer Science major who is eager to embark on his career journey, and Kathlyne Casimir ‘21, an
alumna of the Health Science program who is looking to transition from her current industry and remote work position.
“The fair has been awesome! There’s a lot of opportunities here that I can partake
in and I’ll, hopefully, land a job with one of these companies,” Vega said. “I’ve
only been to four tables so far: GovTech, ASRC, Spencer’s and Withum. They’ve all definitely piqued my interest.”
“Because of COVID-19, I ended up being into so many different industries: HR, food
and health. Right now, I’m definitely looking into health care support and informatics,
something up that route,” Casimir said, holding up her iPad and showing off a Microsoft
Excel sheet of companies and positions she is considering.
Prior to the event, the Roselle native researched and pre-applied to some of the companies
that she knew would be in attendance.
“Through Handshake, I looked up all the companies coming today and narrowed them down by industry, like
insurance, healthcare and anything that starts with ‘NJ’ or state,” Casimir said.
“I listed them, their websites and their open positions. If I applied, I let the recruiter
here know.”
In addition to connecting with prospective employers, students had the opportunity
to get their headshots taken by the Stockton chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America and connect with alumni who helped them practice their elevator pitches in the Student Decompression Zone.
🔑 Students who didn’t get to attend Oct. 17’s fair can still connect with organizations
that are hiring through Handshake – a job-hunting platform exclusive to Stockton students and alumni.
When they weren’t talking with students in the zone, Chukwuemeka (’13) and Desiree Nnadi (’16) were recruiting them for Grocery Outlet in Mays Landing, of which they serve as owners and operators.
“The Student Decompression Zone was very well put together,” Desiree said. “We’ve
met a lot of incredible individuals who are hungry for their next career or even just
making those connections. I appreciate having the opportunity to talk to these students
who are either already in our industry or even just to get the jitters out for them.”
“Coming back to Stockton has been really awesome because this was where we all started.
Education is vital and important, but also to give back to an institution that poured
into me and my success has been exciting,” said Jamie Guzman ’13, public relations
and communication manager for Mays Landing Grocery Outlet. “The students are asking
lots of good questions and came prepared – it’s a really beautiful thing to see the
passion and how much Stockton put into them.”
Brittany Valenti ’21/M.A. ‘22, who works as a recruiter for Withum, a nationally ranked
advisory and public accounting firm, echoed Desiree and Guzman’s sentiments, saying
that she has loved coming back to campus to help support students on their way to
becoming professionals.
🎓 Are you a Stockton alum interested in meeting and networking with current Stockton
students like Chukwuemeka and Desiree? Join the Alumni Business Directory, a platform
that provides alumni-owned or affiliated businesses to shine.
Like Spring Oak, Withum sponsored the fair and participated in “Working Wednesdays,”
in addition to serving as Employer-in-Residences for the 2024-25 school year. The
companies also participated in CED’s “Resume Rush,” in which over 100 students were
able to get their resumes reviewed prior to the fair.
“We’re definitely looking to do more and talk with more classes,” Valenti said. “I
love Stockton, and I love coming back here. I’ll probably reach out again to Nancy
(Stempin, associate professor of Business Studies) and be like, ‘So, what class am I coming to?’”
– Story by Loukaia Taylor
– Photos by Susan Allen
Annual Career Fair At Full Capacity, Full of Opportunities
March 6, 2024
recruit Stockton University students on Tuesday, March 5.
Galloway, N.J. – Just as the campus continues to grow, so does annual programming like the Career and Internship Fair, which surpassed its goal of serving over 600 students and housing over 100 employers
on Tuesday, March 5, in the Sports Center.
Employers came, ready and eager to meet Stockton University students and find new
members of their teams, while students dressed to impress with resumes in hand.
Frank Napp ’23, a recruiter for Live! Casino and Hotel, said his job search included
attending the Career Fair and looking online when he first graduated from Stockton’s Business program. He eventually found Live’s Management Development program, where he was able
to explore different departments to find one that worked best for him. Now, he gets
to be on the other side of the table.
“We’re looking for a graduating senior in any area of interest — whether that’s marketing,
finance or HR — who will go through the rotation that I’m currently going through,”
Napp said. “I hope to recruit another Stockton student like me.”
He may have found one. Melanie Olivia, a Hospitality major who plans to graduate in May, is currently looking for a full-time position.
She said Live! was one of the organizations she was interested in pursuing.