Students scour for jobs at fair

Clouds dotted the sky and Cal State Long Beach students surrounded the Brotman Hall Fountain Plaza, all hoping to find a future just as bright as the Wednesday morning sun at the Career Development Center's last job fair of the semester.

Held outdoors from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on a seemingly perfect day, curious passers-by and graduating seniors strolled through the fountain area, checking out possible employers.

Rene Lopez, a sophomore criminal justice major, is talking to someone at the U.S Customs table. He wants to work for the FBI.

"I think it's a plus for students, because it allows them to see other opportunities besides their major," Lopez said.

With more than 145 companies in attendance, opportunities seemed to lie around every corner. On average, more than 300 resumes were collected at the fair, said CSULB career counselor Angi Carrillo-Humphreys.

"This is the last big event of the year," Carrillo-Humphreys said. "I think it catches students that are not aware or necessarily prepared for a fair."

This was the only fair held outdoors this year, she said.

Carrillo-Humphreys also mentioned two trips to Las Vegas are up for grabs.

"I think it's an added bonus, rewarding graduating seniors for their hard work," she said.

Employers and students both seemed to enjoy the day.

"We've met a lot of people who could have their first position with us when they graduate," said Steve Shapiro, area vice president of AOC. He was looking for entry-level staff accountants or financial analysts.

Sophomore nursing major Joseph Tolentino doesn't want to be an accountant -- he would rather be a nursing practitioner. He was busy checking out the Long Beach Memorial Medical Center's table.

"The job fair encourages students to look towards their future," Tolentino said.

Not all students were happy with the fair, though.

Vanessa Schleider, a junior broadcast journalism major, was frantically looking for the one company that related to her major.

"There's a gazillion topics for all majors, but not enough for specific majors," Schleider said. "It's too broad, and it needs to be in better order."

At least one employer disagreed.

Lindsey Cromwell of Solstice Capital Group was looking for experienced salespeople and liked the fair's setup.

"It's been wonderful -- we've found a lot of interest," Cromwell said. "It is really organized, and being in a fair that's in the open with well-educated students is very important."