Last Wednesday, as the bright March sun melted the
remaining snowbanks on Saint Joseph’s campus, a group of businesses, community
members, and college students gathered to focus on their futures and, together,
to help advance the future of our state.
The
annual Saint Joseph’s Career and Internship Fair, which was re-scheduled
for March 27 due to a snowstorm on the original date in February, provided an
excellent opportunity to build networks and connections which may lead to
internships, jobs and, ultimately, a successful professional life in Maine.
With over 60 employers in attendance from fields as diverse as banking, law
enforcement, mental health services, and recreation, the Career Fair
represented a large swath of the southern Maine professional community.
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| Saint Joseph College Alumni, Brett O'Kelly, Jason Riley and Danielle Capozza attended the career fair representing Tyler Technologies |
“It’s
great to see this number of employers,” explained Muhammad Humza Khan, a Talent
and Diversity Specialist with Bangor Savings Bank. “And, the students I’ve met
are very impressive,” he added.
While
the Career Fair has a very strong connection to Saint Joseph’s, this
event is always open to the entire community. Laurie Murphy, Assistant
Professor of Human Resources in Saint Joseph’s Business Department, explained
that this event is an opportunity to support the Maine economy and connect
motivated, talented workers from the college and beyond with local employers.
The
fair also provided Saint Joseph’s students with an intensive hands-on opportunity
to participate in planning, managing, and running a large event. Over thirty
students volunteered their time and expertise to make the fair a success,
according to Steve McFarland, the Director of Career Development at Saint
Joseph’s. Student involvement
in the Career Fair ranged from running the check-in counter during the fair to
reviewing resumes and LinkedIn profiles for fellow students and members of the
community alike. Students even suggested new employers to invite. Tri-County
Mental Health, McFarland said, was attending this year’s Career Fair thanks to
a suggestion from a current Saint Joseph’s student. Students were even
volunteering at the photo booth to offer all attendees the opportunity to sit
for a professional portrait.
“This
is an all-campus undertaking,” explained McFarland.
Historically,
the students’ efforts have certainly paid off. Last year, McFarland stated
that several Saint Joseph’s students met their future employers during the
Career Fair. One of those students, Steven Albert, found his position as a
management trainee at Enterprise during last year’s fair. He returned to the
Saint Joseph’s campus last Wednesday to represent Enterprise’s Portland branch
and their Management Training program.
“This
is really ground-up training in how to run a business,” Albert said. And it all
began with a handshake over the Enterprise table in the same room one year ago.
Other
Saint Joseph’s alumni in attendance worked for Covetrus, a software
company in Portland who designs technology to serve veterinarians and their
teams, and Tyler Technologies in Yarmouth.
“We’ll
recognize a lot of students who come through today,” explained Danielle
Capozza, an Associate HR Representative at Tyler Technologies, who was one of
three recent Saint Joseph’s graduates representing Tyler Tech at the Career
Fair.
This
personal connection to a fellow classmate can make networking and job hunting
much less intimidating, explained Alyssa Theriault, a current HR Management
Major at Saint Joseph’s and one of the student volunteers who helped to
organize the Career Fair.
“I
found an internship here,” Theriault said, explaining how a connection made at
last year’s Career Fair led to her summer internship position with Norway
Savings Bank. “It was a great experience,” she told me, with a cheerful smile.
Yet
this annual Career and Internship Fair helps to build more than
individual careers.
Professor Laurie Murphy explained that this event is an
important part of building the Maine community. As a state with an aging population,
Maine faces a demographic challenge. “We need a strong workforce to ensure a
successful future for employers, their employees, and the entire state.”
“Many
of our alums want to stay in Maine,” Murphy explained. This Career Fair gives
the talented young students at Saint Joseph’s, and the larger community of
Windham and Raymond, a chance to connect with employers, to learn of
opportunities they may not have imagined, and to envision themselves building
their career in Vacationland.
According
to Theriault, living and working in Maine after graduating from Saint Joseph’s
is an easy sell for most of her classmates.
“We
spend four years here,” Theriault said, gesturing to Saint Joseph’s panoramic
views of the ice-covered Sebago Lake and the white peak of Mount Washington.
“How can you look at that view every day and then want to move to a big city?”
