Students connect with local businesses at Concordia Career Fair

Students talk with local business vendors at the Career Fair.

Photo Credit: Sophia Squire

By Sophia Squire

Concordia’s Career Fair on Tuesday gave students a chance to talk to many different vendors with businesses and departments ranging from graduate school to agriculture. Students who attended the fair were provided information about internships and career opportunities, as well as chances to make connections and practice interviewing skills.

Talking with the vendors opened up future possibilities for students like freshman Lucy Eggleston, who said the Concordia Graduate School booth was particularly inspiring because she originally didn’t think she would need a graduate degree as a teacher. Since visiting the booth, she is wondering if she might be interested in the program.

“When the person brought it up, it kind of made me go, ‘hm, maybe I am interested in this.’ I kind of started to think of what my educational path might be beyond my undergrad,” Eggleston said.

Aubrey Burmeister is a junior majoring in Psychology. She thought coming to the career fair would be helpful for finding an internship. Burmeister said she found two places that were offering internships of what she was looking for.

“When I heard about the career fair, I thought it would be a really good opportunity, since I am a junior, to look for internships they would possibly offer,” said Burmeister.

Concordia Career Services Graduate Assistant Isabelle Salters said there were 24 different vendors at the fair. Students saw businesses such as Budget, Hefty Seed Company and Sandhills Global.

“The goal of this event is for students to make connections and meet with a lot of great people,” said Salters. “We have a lot of returners; Sandhills Global is one that has been coming back fair after fair after fair.”

Sandhills Global is a publishing company in Lincoln, Nebraska that provides a sales-marketing internship to students. Representative Grace Hoyt said that the global company sees about 70% of interns turning into full-time employees.

“We are always expanding,” she said. “Giving new opportunities for people to move into full time.”

Salters explained that the fall fair tends to see more agricultural businesses because of the beginning of harvest season. Danie Kersten with Hefty Seed Company said her company has been coming to the Concordia career fair for 5 or 6 years, and that their internship is helpful for students living in Seward particularly. 

“The unique thing about what we offer here in Seward is that we have a location right outside of town,” Kersten said. “So agricultural interns can start in March and really get a chance to experience the entire growing season as an intern.”