Career Expo brings elites in their field to Biscayne Bay Campus

Contributing Writer: Douglass Gavilan

The University held a recruiting event on Thursday, Sept. 8 get students involved and active in their career search and offer the opportunity to network with potential employers at The Biscayne Bay Campus.

The event had three different sections happening throughout the day. The name comes from one of the sections called “Career Smart Talks,” where students were able to learn about various aspects of the professional world.

“Students come in professionally dressed and they are given opportunity to apply for jobs, internship, either full-time or part-time and it’s for all majors,” says Magalie Gabriel, peer career coach.

From 9:30 a.m to 11 a.m, students were able to participate in the talk.

One of the professionals attending was Dr. Michael Salzhauer, otherwise known as Dr. Miami, who talked about personal branding.

Samuel Sutter, director of front office at Fontainebleau said: “We’re looking for students who are driven, career motivated and wants to come in. We’re also one of the biggest name brands in the whole country,” said Sutter. “So we’re looking for personalities that can come in and appease to our guest … work in a team environment [and] put a smile on people’s faces.”

Students met face-to-face with companies and participated in personal interviews. Then, from 2 till 3 p.m., there was one last Career Smart Talk.

“This is my first time; I’ve been to a few tables and they’ve been very informative and nice,” said Samiyyah Black, a senior studying digital media. “Only thing is, it’s kinda heartbreaking because they aren’t looking for my major.”

Another student, Noemi Reyes a junior marketing major said, “It’s nerve racking because as a student who doesn’t know about all these different companies and jobs, you really have to put yourself out [there]. It’s like a blessing because not a lot of school have these career fairs.”

In addition the the students, the employers also responded positively to the career expo.

From the Village of Pinecrest Police Department, Jorge Paez, police officer and background investigator said, “It’s great. This is our second time we’ve attended. We were here during spring time. I believe we got a big response from people.”

There were over 70 employers and professionals in attendance, including United Airlines, Fontainebleau, Peace Corps and Geico.

“Our relationship with employers is huge. We have companies coming back cause we have quality students willing to work,” said Gabriel.

The career expo is only one of the various opportunities offered to students to get a real-world experience.

“It’s very great to see the [University] helping us out in so many ways.” Said Jose Galindo, a junior accounting major.

Before the career expo, the University hosted several events to help students prepare for the expo, with workshops on resume building, networking and job searching. The Career and Talent Development Department also teamed up with other departments to create games and activities.

For future career expos, students are required to bring their resumes, panther ID and professional attire.

For students who do not own or can not afford professional attire, contact the Career and Talent Development Department office. They are located in the Wolfe University Center, room 255.