When senior Danielle Jurczak’s summer internship was cancelled in early April, she tried to find another internship to fulfill a requirement for her sales certificate.
“When I had gotten the internship, I was excited because I thought that that was going to help me pave my way to graduating with the job,” Jurczak said.
Jurczak sought out the College of Business’s virtual career fair, held on Sept. 17, to find opportunities to secure a job after she graduates in May. Colleges at MU hosted virtual career fairs over the past two weeks to help students search for jobs and internships amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Students used a new platform called CareerEco Virtual Events to chat with employers privately and conduct video interviews.
Many students were pleased with the new format and enjoyed having the ability to talk with recruiters in a more personal way, fair leaders said.
“The students do like that intimacy, just that one-on-one, and that was really positive feedback for our office,” Matt Reiske, executive director of the Trulaske College of Business Career Services Center, said.
While many students enjoyed the opportunity to speak with various companies, some, like Olivia Bommelje, a sophomore Civil and Environmental Engineering student, preferred an in-person format to help stand out against other applicants.
“I felt like with virtual, you’d have to wait on people more,” Bommelje said. “Whereas in person, you can visually see, okay, that person is busy and space your time out better. (…) You can physically hand them your resume. You know that they’re going to look at it rather than you just being like, ‘Please pay attention to me.’”
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, unemployment in the U.S. fell to 7.9% in September. While this unemployment rate is significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels, many students are still able to find internship and career opportunities.
Bommelje was able to complete an in-person internship this summer and says she was thankful for the experience that so many of her peers did not have.
“I was so grateful to be getting experience and not have this loss,” Bommelje said. “I think so many students feel almost as if it was like a loss of time because of the pandemic.”
Job opportunities can also vary depending on the field students are entering. For students in the College of Engineering, many options are available for future engineers.
“I think there’s this misconception that, at least in engineering and computing, jobs aren’t available, that the economy is hurting,” Tyler Reyes, senior career services program manager for Engineering Career Services, said. “Really, at least here in Missouri, there are a plethora of jobs.”
Students seeking jobs should focus on being flexible and keeping their options open, including considering a variety of jobs and locations, Reiske said.
“There are opportunities out there,” Reiske said. “It’s just the students that kind of pigeon-hole into maybe one organization or one career field might really be limiting themselves.”
Bommelje hopes that despite current economic conditions, companies will be willing to take a chance on students and help teach them new skills.
“Interns are an investment into your future company,” Bommelje said. “It is a way of getting your name out there.”
_Edited by Lucy Caile | lcaile@themaneater.com_
