Ferris students had mixed feelings about the career and internship fair, as well as how the job market looks for their major.
Taking place at the Student Recreational Center on March 21, students had a chance to connect with employers about internships and careers. The first session was held for the College of Engineering Technology. The second session was held for the College of Arts, Science and Education, as well as Business and Health Professions. Regardless of where they were on their career paths, students entered the event to seek more opportunities for a career or to help increase their chances of finding a good internship or a path toward a career.
Even with opportunities being available, not every student can have an easy path. Manufacturing engineering senior Ellie Ditchman had a frustrating experience when trying to get an internship.
“I was not so much concerned but discouraged because the companies I wanted said we’re looking at more experienced interns,” Ditchman said. “I said that I’m only an intern, how much more experience do you want?”
Additionally, Ditchman stated she got many emails stating she was a good candidate, but they were choosing those with more experience. She expressed her frustration by saying that she was an intern and was coming to them for more experience.
The number of opportunities students may have can depend on their jobs. Some majors offer more options in comparison to others. Automotive engineering technologies senior Gabe Carr had a harder time finding an internship due to the lack of options that were available for his specific field.
“Last year, there were maybe five or six total auto employers here,” Carr said. “The rest were engineering base and not automotive base. To me, that makes it harder to find an internship.”
Despite it not being easy to find an internship, Carr also stated that he’s hopeful there will be good opportunities for more internship options in the future.
A vast majority of the students who attended the fair had been to ones the past semester and the years past. Finance junior Elizabeth Fettig attended more than one internship fair, allowing them to hold value in seeking help toward her career.
“These fairs have helped me learn what actual careers are out there,” Fettig said. “They helped me eliminate some options and things I know I want to do and don’t want to do, and they’ve helped me learn all the companies that actually have jobs and finance. I was like, wow, I didn’t know you would have a career in finance.”
Fettig also stated she was astounded to learn about how many opportunities relating to careers in finance would be available from attending more than one fair.
Some students have chosen to attend these fairs even if they’re satisfied with their current job position and career path. Product design engineering technologies senior Justin Hoogenstyn finds the internship fairs helpful for finding help for a career, but also for exploring more opportunities while maintaining a job.
“It’s somewhere you get some experience being a little more suit and tie and talking a bit more professionally,” Hoogenstyn said. “And to get some advice from other companies even if you still have a job. I’ve had a job and I’ve still come to this just to talk to people and to look for potential opportunities. I don’t think it’s a good idea if you do have a job to just stick to that.”
Those who missed the fair and are looking for more job options can log onto Handshake through their Ferris account to seek job opportunities, career centers and more.
S.E. E.S.
CE – RS / CF