First Fall Career Fest Supports Students’ Career Planning Early In The Academic Year
Students and employers gathered around tables in the Commons Great Room for Career Fest, a new fall event hosted by Arcadia’s Office of Career Education (OCE) to provide a space for students to mingle with potential employers while learning about job and internship opportunities.
“While our spring Internship and Career Fair is a more traditional, large-scale recruiting event, Career Fest is designed to be more casual and community-focused,” Associate Director for Employee Relations Sonia Blount explained. “It blends the professional benefits of a career fair with the energy of a block party, creating a welcoming space for students to explore opportunities, network, and connect with employers in a less formal setting.
“Our goal is that students leave Career Fest feeling more confident and supported in their career journey. Whether that means practicing how to introduce themselves to employers, discovering organizations they didn’t know about, or simply recognizing that career exploration is a process—we want them to walk away with a stronger sense of direction and community.”
For Cultural Anthropology major Cazpien Robinson ’26, having the event in the fall provided a welcome opportunity to explore post-graduate options.
“I just talked to someone from AmeriCorps, which is something that I’ve been looking into. I’m doing the Peace Corps Prep Program, but I’m not sure if I want to go fully out into the world just yet, so AmeriCorps is a really good opportunity to start with. We’re trying to build and establish ourselves while we’re still supported at Arcadia. This is a really effective event to be able to talk with a lot of people who are looking for employment.”
Computer Science major Daniel Matisoff ’27, who was looking for an internship at Career Fest, met an employer who may have an opportunity in the future.
“I really think that making connections with a lot of these people can help as I go forward. I’m looking to do freelance work later,” said Matisoff. “Having all these people that I can then reach out to and say, ‘Hey, do you need something small?’ can definitely help me in the future.”
Blount said another reason for holding the event early in the academic year was to give students a low-pressure introduction to career development.
“I came to the Career Fest to see if there was any sort of publishing firm here,” said Abbie Plate ’27, an English major. “I think this kind of just shows me what’s out there, and helps me see what other places I could use my major for in the future.”
OCE’s connections with employers, who have hired Arcadia students from events like this in the past, are a testament to the office’s goal of aiding students along their career paths.
“We got some of our best interns from Arcadia,” said Sharon Heileman, corporate officer of children’s programs at SPIN, which provides services for people with intellectual, developmental, and autism spectrum disabilities. “They have stayed with us and become employees, so it’s wonderful.”
Advice From Employers:
- Tiffany Sox from Almac Group:
- I came back to the Career Fest because I think it shows that you can have a degree, and you can then go on to do pretty much anything you want with that degree. I have a degree in Psychology, so I want to encourage kids that even if you have a degree that would lead you into one field, you can always explore others, too.
- Two key factors we look for in any candidate would be attention to detail and the ability to communicate cross-functionally. Most of our roles require communication from department to department, so being able to translate technical terms in a general sense is key. Personality is big, too. If you have confidence, you can sell yourself.
- Behavioral Technicians Crystal Kirk and Capri Kee:
- Kirk: Be open-minded. Be very vigilant, do a lot of follow-ups. Don’t ghost employers. Put yourself out there.
- Kee: It’s okay to pivot, you just have to be communicative about your pivot.
- Heather Trotman, regional recruiter for ChildCare Careers
- Always have somebody double-check your spelling, and make sure that your emails always say your full name, it’s the first thing employers see on Outlook. We hire folks with no experience, so I don’t expect people to be well-versed in how to interview, but just listening goes a long way. I’m happy to help, always, so reading emails thoroughly and asking questions when you’re not sure of answers is important as well.
- Sharon Heileman of SPIN
- Network! Keep talking to people!
