On Wednesday, March 14, students gathered in McGuire Hall to take part in the Liberal Arts Career Fair where they met with representatives of various organizations to discuss potential internship and job opportunities.

This career fair was the latest in a series held by the Loyola Career Center and was aimed at helping students majoring in the humanities and social sciences to connect with potential employers.

The Career Center used Handshake, a website that connects students with employment opportunities, to invite all employers within a 75-mile radius to the career fair. As a result, over 25 organization, ranging from Fulton Financial Corporation to Upper Bay Counseling Services to the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, were in attendance.

For many of these organizations, this was not their first Loyola Career Fair. Corporations and programs, such as the Fulton Financial Corporation and the Disney College Program, have developed relationships with the Loyola Career Center that they believe will prove mutually beneficial.

Students benefit from the access to networking opportunities with these partnering employers, and employers benefit from the talents of the Loyola student body. Melissa Silverls, a talent acquisition advisor at Fulton Financial, found the applicant pool that she met at the Loyola career fair promising.

She noted how knowledgeable students seemed to be about the available career and positions that were available at Fulton, a trait she found promising in potential applicants.

Organizations appreciated the opportunity to connect with students face to face. An admissions coordinator from the Jesuit Volunteer Corps commented on how rare an opportunity it was to connect with students face to face.

Students, too, appreciated the convenience of having various employers in one place. Students were able to meet with employers whose organizations they were interested in and to engage in dialogues with representatives from the organizations. The career fair also allowed students to strengthen their networking skills.

Mary DeManss, associate director of the Career Center, noted that these various opportunities available to students from all years allowed them to benefit from the career fair.

Upper level students have the opportunity to network with employers and first year students have the chance to develop networking skills.