The nearly 1,000 students who attended the Career and Internship Fair this past Wednesday were met by 100 employers seeking to recruit students, according to Lisa White, associate director of employer engagement at the Boston College Career Center.
This year’s fair featured a new setup that grouped employers into six career clusters. The new available space in the Margot Connell Recreational Center also allowed for the event, which has previously been held over two days, to be condensed into just one, according to White.
“I think the benefit for students is that if they have a particular interest, they can go to that section and maybe have an employer that they’re particularly targeting, but [they] will still get to see some other companies and organizations that are similar,” said White.
The fair has been, and continues to be, extremely helpful to students looking for internships and jobs, not only through direct contact with employers, but through the potential connections that the visiting companies have to offer, said Steven LeGere, MCAS ’21.
“I haven’t necessarily gotten a position through the career fairs, but I have gained a lot of connections and met some people that pointed me in the right direction,” said LeGere. “I was able to work in the governor’s office and the state senate through those connections.”
Still, other students said they found it difficult to benefit from the fair due to its proximity to the summer, when a lot of the offered internships and jobs take place.
“It’s kind of hard because you only get to talk to them for a minute, and a lot of people are done recruiting now, especially for econ and finance internships,” said Sara Meguerian, Lynch ’21.
Several companies expressed that coming to BC often helps them fill positions with talented, passionate students.
“I came to BC because we’ve had several tremendous interns from BC in the past,” said Mary Tripp, a representative of FCD Prevention Works, a nonprofit substance abuse prevention organization. “We think that there is a great pool of candidates here that fit our needs, so we came back to hopefully recruit another intern for this semester.”
Though BC is a prime recruitment site for companies, certain students are targeted more than others.
“We come to BC to promote our internship program and look for really outgoing individuals that of course meet our requirements as a junior, senior, or grad student, and are eligible for academic credit,” said Kelsey Lawrence, a WCTV employer.
But because many companies are looking primarily for juniors and seniors, some younger students expressed that they were discouraged from even attending the fair.
“I think it’s pointless for freshmen and sophomores because they’re only looking for juniors and seniors,” said Sophia Gardner, CSOM ’22.
Other students said that the abundance of opportunities at the fair made it possible for many pursuing a job or internship to find one.
“I think it is a bit intimidating to have to compete against juniors and seniors, especially because they have more experience, but I feel like if you’re really passionate and speak to multiple companies you’ll have a shot,” said Ines Martinez, MCAS ’23.
Eric Shea contributed to reporting.
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