Tsongas Event a Hit with Students, Employers
David Chieh III, left, a Verizon corporate recruiter and 2012 alumnus, greets Jonathan Campelli '14 at the Fall Career Fair.
10/30/2014
By Ed Brennen
That all changed at the Fall 2014 Career Fair. Organized by the Career Services and Cooperative Education Center, the event not only moved to the more spacious Tsongas Center for the first time, but its hours were extended to 2 to 6 p.m. to better suit students’ busy schedules.
The result? A record 190 companies representing a wide cross-section of industries attended the fair, 35 more than the previous venue could hold. And more than 1,500 sharply dressed students and alumni showed up with resumes in hand — including 600 in the first hour alone.
“It was incredible to see so many students making great connections,” says Greg Denon, assistant dean of career development. “Our employers really value the relationship with UMass Lowell. They know there are a lot of talented, motivated students and graduates who can make an impact.”
Neves actually wore two hats at the event: student and employer. The senior works full-time as a college relations specialist for Kronos, a workforce-management software firm based in Chelmsford that was one of the event’s four platinum sponsors. Working the Kronos booth, Neves offered a unique perspective to peers seeking full- and part-time work, as well as internships and co-ops.
“I love to tell students, ‘I got this job through a Career Fair, so this is meaningful,’ ” says Neves, whose company was one of 10 that conducted 82 on-campus interviews with students the next day.
Dean Sheehan ’10, a mold design engineer for Procter & Gamble, says UMass Lowell grads are highly valued in the job market because of their work ethic and academic success.
“I’m really impressed with them,” says Sheehan, who was attending his first Career Fair as a recruiter. “They’re asking the right questions.”
To help job-seekers navigate the bigger venue, Career Services created a mobile application for the first time through third-party provider Guidebook. A total of 1,163 attendees downloaded the app, which let them quickly search for opportunities that matched their desired fields, even pinning booth locations on an interactive map.
“I liked the app,” says junior Christa Mixon, a finance and management major who was only looking for part-time work and internships. “I wasn’t wasting my time going to companies that were only offering full-time positions.”
Vanessa Aukshunas, a marketing management major who is graduating this December, preferred the old-fashioned paper map to the app. But as she went over her notes in the student hospitality area of the concourse pavilion, she couldn’t help but be impressed by the Career Fair’s growth.
“To see that UMass Lowell has brought in 190 companies for us is amazing,” says Aukshunas, who landed internships with Putnam and EMC at previous Career Fairs. “This is nice and open — a lot more inviting for students.”
The Spring 2015 Career Fair is slated for Thursday, March 26 at 2 p.m. at Tsongas. Check out the (https://web.uml.edu/gallery/index.php/student_events/Fall-Career-Fair-10-22-14) photo gallery to see more of the fall event.