On Wednesday, March 9, at the Save Mart Center (SMC), students were able to develop their resumes and interviewing skills in the Recruit the 99 Career and Internship Fair.
Over 125 companies and organizations were there to recruit students looking for different internships or career paths. Students engaged in “mini-interviews” with organizations like Caltrans and the Clovis Police Department, in which they were able to display their interview skills.
Chun Fong, a senior majoring in computer science, said he used school resources to prepare for the career fair and noted that he would refer more students to utilize those free resources.
“I went to the Career Development Center website, and then there’s a guide for [us to follow when making] our resume and cover letter,” Fong said.
Diego Guillen, a senior majoring in history, said the College of Social Sciences’ Peer Mentor Program, COSS Linked, helped with building his resume and interview skills. The program also aims to get students more engaged and involved with their college through academic and extracurricular activities, according to its website.
Another resource that students used to prepare for the career fair was the Clothing Closet, located in the Career Development Center in the Thomas Building, Room 103.
There students are able to pick out up to three pieces of professional clothing per person for free. Items available to students include suits, sweaters, blouses, skirts, blazers and footwear.
Guillen said the Clothing Closet helped him out when he was in need of a belt that he wore to the career fair.
“That’s really nice to have in case you really didn’t have anything. I [can] still use it if I needed it,” Guillen said.
Fong said he spent three to four days working on his resume to prepare for the career fair and to make sure it was adequate for employers. Throughout that time, Fong said he debated on what he would wear and made sure he memorized basic descriptions of the companies that were going to be in attendance.
Even after days of preparation, when Fong was at the career fair, he said the process of going through the booths and interviewing with the companies still made him nervous.
“Oh yeah, [I was] definitely nervous. A lot of companies, they’re not hiring software engineer interns, or like, anything related to my major. So hopefully if I talk to them, they might give me something,” Fong said.
Agriculture business department chair Srinivasa Konduru attended the career fair. He said having the fair in-person was more effective than the last few years being held virtually.
“The instructors are there, We can help them, but they need to find their own [calling]. Which kind of firm? Which kind of sector they are going to be interested in? And internships are the right vehicles for that,” Konduru said.
