Internship Fair brings in large crowd

About 950 students attended JMU's 10th Annual Internship Fair last Thursday, which interviewed 400 students and represented 47 companies, according to event coordinator Reg Foucar-Szocki. The event took place in two phases — a morning session, in which recruiters met students and showcased their companies, followed by an afternoon session, in which the recruiters interviewed students.

Companies from a variety of fields had representatives at the event, including Marriott International, the Virginia Police Corp., Wintergreen Resort, Crate & Barrel, Target and Pulte Homes.

Committee coordinator Cathy Snyder said the recruiters look for applicants from a variety of majors, and it's a myth that they only are interested in seeing business students.

"This year was the best year [in terms of] variety of employers, but the worst in that it is still thought of as a College of Business-exclusive event," Snyder said.

Junior Chris Gibson said he found the fair to be a good experience.

"It really helps with preparing for interviews, even if you don't get offered a job," he said. "[I learned that] it's always good to have questions to ask because it shows an interest and that you are listening to what they are saying."

Sophomore Lisa Mathews also said the event was helpful with all of its information. "It gives students the opportunity to talk to new companies, and to look into new fields that they didn't know about," she said.

Sophomore Kristin Mimm said she had to come for class, but was glad she did.

"You learn the right questions to ask," she said. "I got my resumé out, and now I'm better prepared for [applying for jobs] next year." 

Foucar-Szocki said he thinks the program has been very successful in the past because "many people who come back as employers were part of it as students a few years back."

Snyder also said she thinks it's a successful program. "Older students tend to have a better shot, but students usually get an internship, even if it's not with their first-choice company," she said.

"Students can hit multiple employers in the same day, and it doesn't require constant rescheduling of classes for the appointments," Snyder added.

Internships are important tools for helping students become employed after graduation, Snyder said. She estimated that a student's chance of getting hired are 50 to 75 percent better with internship experience.

"If a student hasn't had an internship, then they may not be as competitive," she said. "It's a differential tool; it makes them stand out. If an employer can see that they have relevant experiences, then it helps."