Bluefield State University student explore career possibilities at job fair
Mar. 28—By GREG JORDAN
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
BLUEFIELD — Students seeking jobs, internships and apprenticeships that could lead to lifelong careers found many opportunities Wednesday when 95 recruiters came to the Bluefield State University campus.
Aisles of recruiters ranging from the Mercer County Sheriff's Department and the West Virginia Department of Corrections to WVU Medicine and Volvo filled the Ned Shott Center's gymnasium.
"Today we're having Bluefield State University's 35th Annual Spring Career Fair," said Rebekah Hatch, Bluefield State's director of career services. "And this is our time to invite our local employers to come and employ our top-notch students. Not only employment, but also internships and apprenticeships."
The career fair was not limited to Bluefield State students.
"It's for everyone. And we invite other universities to come," Hatch said. "We're like Macy's."
Corporal L.L. Addair with the Mercer County Sheriff's Department was there for students interested in joining a law enforcement agency.
"It's going really well. The students are coming through, checking out the table," Addair said. "They seem to be interested in law enforcement which I'm excited for. We're testing in April 13, so we're hoping to get some good applicants."
Addair said the department has seen good results from the career fair.
"Oh absolutely. Bluefield State has a criminal justice program," he said. "With that being said, this is our biggest job fair. It helps get our name out and makes people more aware that we're actually hiring in the area."
Emily Bryant, human resources business partner with Volvo, which has a manufacturing plant, said her company was at the fair to fill internship positions.
"We came here specifically today looking to fill our internship positions," Bryant said. "We're really looking to fill mostly engineering positions, but we're really open to anyone who's coming up to talk to us. We are also looking to fill some production workers, too; so we're hiring for plant, too, which is also in Dublin, Va."
Students Emily Jones and Davonte Street were visiting the aisles of recruiters.
"I'm looking at nursing jobs," Jones said. "I'm looking at Princeton Community Hospital. I have an internship there now."
Street had a different career path in mind.
"I'm an accounting and business major, so I'm looking for any accounting and business internships right now," he said. "So far I've found one internship already that I just started. It's looking really good so far."
— Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
Contact Greg Jordan at gjordan@bdtonline.com
