Northern Essex Community College offers job fair opportunities to college students and outsiders. The plus is that students can gain real-life experiences and apply all the knowledge they learn during their school to their future jobs. NECC wants students to be ready to have real jobs after they’re done with their degrees. After completing degree programs that prepare them academically, the job fairs at NECC are a hands-on work experience that prepares them for the real world.
Talking to the faculty of NECC, they claim students learn all the steps that students need, in order to do work off campus. Some students may struggle to find a job, while others find a job quickly. It all depends on what type of jobs they are looking for.
Sandy Rochon is a staff member at NECC, has been working there for almost two years. Rochon works in the Careers Services Department. She is one of the people in charge of hosting job fairs for students. Rochon stated, “I recommend students to assist at our job fairs because it will provide students with real-life experience of how to seek jobs. Students will be able to know if this particular job is one, they would like to work in for the future”. “I also recommend students to always apply for every job they see in the job fair because it helps them discover if this is what they are looking for”, (Sandy Rochon).
Katie Yeaton-Hromada is the coordinator for the Career Services Department at NECC. Yeaton-Hromada works to help students find job opportunities and to find suitable job opportunities as well. Yeaton-Hromada stated, “I recommend students to participate in our job fair at NECC because this is an awesome opportunity that will help them build up knowledge towards their degree. They will be able to bring all the knowledge they have earned during the internship to their future job”, (Katie Yeaton-Hromada).
Karla Gonzales, a NECC student stated that she found her first job when she attended a job fair at NECC and that it was helpful for her.
Gonzales stated that a job fair is something that students should go to when they want to earn work experience. According to Gonzales, working while attending school can be challenging but will provide you with real-life experience. Gonzales mentioned, “Not all jobs in the job fairs offer the opportunity related to students’ degree, but some of them do. If students are taking school full time, they should get a part-time job”, (Gonzales). Gonzales also stated that through job fairs students can do their internship.
In interviewing a variety of students who chose the job fairs option, almost every one of them has excellent feedback from their experiences.
The most widely stated comment is that students feel much more prepared for life in their chosen careers. They go on to say that their real-world learning experiences have been more than just a classroom experience. Learning is expanded to what it will be like as they enter the workforce. These NECC students contest that hands-on learning experiences are a preferred way of attaining knowledge.
References
Gonzales, Karla. Student at Northern Essex Community College.
Rochon Sandy. Career Services at Northern Essex Community College.
Katie Yeaton-Hromada. Coordinator for Career Services and Internship Programs at Northern Essex Community College.
