Meramec Career and Employment Services hosted the Spring 2009 Career Fair March 10.
Janelle Turner
– Staff Writer –
Meramec Career and Employment Services hosted the Spring 2009 Career Fair March 10. Record numbers of both employers and students came this year seeking career opportunities in this recession.
“There was probably a triple turnout from last semester, and the number of employers doubled from 22 to 48.” said Jacqueline Meaders-Booth, who managed the event through Career and Employment.
Endya Goilday, a freshman said, “There was so many people here, I think it may have a lot to do with how bad the job market is and the recession, so I’m glad that Meramec had an opportunity like this; it really shows that the school cares.”
Goilday added, “Being an unemployed student is very difficult now because there is so much to pay for, and I’m really hoping to find a job that I can make a career out of.”
Leanne Sharper, representing First National Bank said, “We came to Meramec because we have branches in this area and we employ a lot of college students for part-time work and we’re looking for outgoing, motivated people to really take care of our customers.”
Companies like Ameren, First Community Credit Union, and the YMCA responded to the RSVPs the Career and Employment Services sent in December.
Some came as late as the day before the event.
Meaders-Booth explained, “We did our best to make sure we had as many companies here [as possible].”
Darlene Sowell from Neighborhood House, a non-profit organization that helps the community, children and families said, “We came to Meramec because we took a look at the community [and] saw that Meramec has a strong reputation.”
Although there were more than 48 companies, mostly seeking volunteer and part-time employees, some students were left unsatisfied.
Steven McClain, a Meramec student graduating this May said, “I’m here primarily for IT jobs, information systems and programming opportunities, full time, but it’s been [a] pretty run-of-the-mill job fair. There were more [employers] looking for student help instead of full-time help, though.”
McClain added, “It’s good that I can still meet different employers and it’s great that Meramec is doing this for free.”
Some employers who expected a certain level of professionalism were left unsatisfied by some students.
Meaders-Booth said, “As I walked around the room, the one thing the employers wished was that students were more prepared, but we are having a Career Crash Course on April 10 to help with that. It’s going cover résumé, job searching, interviewing techniques and much more.”
The Career Crash Course will be from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Business Administration building. For more information go to www.stlcc.edu and click “Calendars” or call Career and Employment Services at 314-984-7611.
