By Regina Stracqualursi '15
Hundreds of students gathered in the Marcelle Athletic Complex for Siena’s annual Career, Internship and Graduate School Fair. This fair is a popular event on Siena’s campus each spring because it offers students of all class years and majors the opportunity to think about life after graduation.
At first, I felt intimidated by the concept of the Career Fair because I was nervous about talking with prospective employers. However, visiting Siena’s Career Center helped me, and other students, prepare for this event. Associate Director Suzanne O’Connor gave me tips to make my résumé the best it could be. The Career Center also helped us create and print free business cards.
Preparation wasn’t limited to just the Career Center, it was a campus-wide endeavor that included many events throughout the past two months. Residential Life sponsored a helpful program for students to learn about résumés, professional dress, graduate schools, interning and interviewing – skills that would come in handy at the Career Fair and in any job or internship search.
Siena welcomed more than 100 employers from a variety of career fields to the Career Fair and as it drew closer, I developed a plan. I looked at the list of organizations that would be there, considered the positions they had available and wrote down the companies I was interested in visiting. I also printed out copies of my résumé and made sure that my business attire was wrinkle-free. I even removed my hot pink nail polish.
A Siena education includes a great deal of preparation for life beyond college, including the development to interpersonal skills that gave me the ability to approach a table and have a meaningful conversation with a potential employer or graduate school representative. I was confident and comfortable as I discussed my experience with each new person.
I was pleasantly surprised to find so many career opportunities for English majors like me. I have been told that I should choose a different major because as an English major I will face limited career options but my experience at the Career Fair proved that there are endless career opportunities for English majors. Companies were interested in me because they knew I would be able to communicate effectively and think critically – skills I developed by studying the liberal arts.
Attending the Career Fair helps students see the paths they can take based on the majors they are pursuing. As a future teacher who is required to earn a Master’s degree, it allowed me to begin my search for a graduate school. After visiting the graduate school tables, I learned that several have great relationships with Siena and want students from this campus in their programs.
Attending the Career Fair is an excellent opportunity to develop relationships with potential employers, even for students who are still a few years away from graduation. Although I am only a junior, I had several prospective employers ask me to keep in touch with them throughout the next year.
While the future once seemed scary, I now know that Siena College has prepared me for life after graduation. My experience at the Career, Internship and Graduate School Fair gave me the confidence I need as I begin to plan my future. I am grateful that Siena has such a strong relationship with so many organizations and I know that my college degree will be put to good use.
Click here to see the Times Union's SEEN gallery from the Career, Internship and Graduate School Fair
Dress for Success
Siena College graduates have been successful in transitioning from college to career – 94% of Siena alumni are either employed, attending graduate school or are engaged in service. The Career, Internship and Graduate School Fair is one way Siena prepares students for the next step. To ensure that they looked professional when they got to the fair, the College’s chapter of the business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi sponsored the “Dress for Success Fashion Show.” A portion of the event’s proceeds benefitted the Albany chapter of Dress for Success, an organization that helps disadvantaged women by providing professional attire, support and career development tools.
