March 20, 2018
Sarah Kellar
Preparing for a career fair can be a stressful experience.
Career fairs are often the first step students take to build their careers. However, certain majors don’t have the same opportunities as others to advance their job readiness.
STEM students have more access to specialized major-based events and can make more connections with potential employers at these career fairs than students in the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences.
Before the STEM Career Fair on March 1, there were three resume reviews and a networking event the night before where students could meet some of the companies that would be at the fair. Five days of events helped STEM students prepare for this fair.
While general career networking opportunities exist, like the Career Networking Night on March 15 and plenty of career webinars, resume events and mock interview opportunities specifically for LAS students are few and far between.
Of course, anyone can stop by the Career Center to receive feedback on their cover letter, resume and job readiness. But some majors with LAS need more specific instruction as far as what skills to include and how to present themselves.
For example, the College of Engineering and Applied Science sends out a weekly email with a compiled list of internships and jobs in and around the Colorado Springs area.
As an English major, I see the one email a couple times a month highlighting internships and study abroad opportunities. This is beneficial information for us, but more opportunities sent out weekly would be helpful.
This semester, 1,293 students are enrolled in the College of Engineering and Applied Science, according to the Office of Institutional Research. In the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, 5,110 students are enrolled this spring.
The College of Letters, Arts and Sciences offers 18 degree programs, including chemistry, psychology and anthropology, and 41 minors. Of course, it can be difficult to coordinate internships for all of these programs, but increased awareness for career opportunities makes a difference in how a student networks themselves.
Students with humanity majors are going to the school for the same reason as students in the College of Engineering or other STEM majors. They want to graduate with ability to get a job, which starts with experience.
These students are paying the school roughly the same amount or more if you want to consider enrollment in LAS is almost four times as much.
LAS students deserve the same opportunities as the STEM students. More LAS career fairs with resume review sessions and networking events should be offered.
These events help students achieve their goals and learn more about career options, but a huge section of the student body is not being exposed to these types of necessary opportunities that ensure success for the future.