It was a big day on campus!
Hunter College held a jam-packed career fair on March 12 that brought about 800 students to meet almost 80 employers — double the number of organizations that participated in last fall’s job fair.
“Many attendees found the event helpful, well-organized, and enjoyable, and some suggested holding career fairs more often,” said Director of Career Services Kristina Simonsen.
The fair showed Hunter’s reach as an anchor institution, by drawing agency and nonprofit employers across the state to advance economic mobility for students. Even more so, planning by the college’s career professionals helped students make the most of the opportunity.
Associate Director of Career Education Keith Okrosy described a multi-pronged effort to ready students for the fair.
Hunter’s Career Center Champions, a group of student volunteers, canvassed on campus and helped students navigate the employer list on Handshake, a jobs platform.
Preparatory workshops hosted by graduate peer career counselors coached students on elevator pitches, resumes, and interviewing garb. The advance work showed in the higher number of students coming to the event professionally attired and ready to talk to employers.
“Hearing directly from peers about the benefits of attending really helped get students excited about the event, and it showed in the turnout,” Okrosy said.
Besides the opportunity to meet employers, the fair offered students career resources, such as free headshots, the chance to enhance resume and interview skills using the platform Quinncia, and access to insider job market insights through Vault Campus.
The two-session fair, which took over the third floor of the west building for most of the day, was led by the college’s Career Center. Partners from across campus came out to volunteer and support the event. The next career fair will be held in fall 2025.