UL Lafayette holds two-day career fair, its important role in aiding students

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette’s Office of Career Services held its first two-day career fair of 2024, helping university students of various majors explore and find career options.

The Non-STEM and STEM career fair occurred through Wednesday, Feb. 28 and Thursday, Feb. 29 at the Student Union Ballroom. The business, liberal arts and general (Non-STEM) career fair was hosted on Wednesday, followed by the STEM career fair on Thursday.

The two-day career fair presented over 150 local, state and national companies, including Stuller, Inc., Atmos Energy Corporation, State Farm and the United States Army.

The event was made possible because of the Career Services department.

The Office of Career Services at UL Lafayette is a division in Student Affairs dedicated to assisting students to succeed in their professional futures. 

The department provides numerous services to students in resume building, job interviews, professional etiquette and more.    

Their career fairs allow students to explore an array of fields, make lasting connections and contribute to realistic career options.

Mason Reaux, a graduate assistant under associate director Lauren Landry in the Office of Career Services, took the time to share about the organization behind the event, the overall student turnout and the lasting impressions made by the attendees. 

“We really work very intricately with each other and through this whole process everybody has a defined role,” Reaux explained.

Reaux elaborated on his role in making the event a reality. 

“What me and Ms. Lauren do is go through the data of all the sheets of companies that are going to be working here and sort them in a way that links the potential majors that they are looking for with the company so that students have the opportunity to look at that and know what companies are looking for their specific majors.”

As for overall participation, Reaux shared on an enthusiastic two-day attendance.

“I saw a lot of student engagement this year on both days,” Reaux said.

One of the new things introduced to the career fair this year was the Lagniappe Lounge. It provided a space for student-to-student socialization and discussion about their experiences with the fair.

Reaux also emphasized the purpose of the career fair as a means by which students can build a professional, impactful future.

“This is really to get students involved in thinking about their careers in the future. You know, the more awareness and the more experience that students have with getting involved with potential employers, I think the more confidence that they’ll feel in being able to use and apply their degree,” Reaux concluded. 

Specific companies that were a part of the career fair took the time to share what they were looking for in a potential employee.

Kristen Andres, a representative for State Farm Insurance, remarked that the company is looking for “somebody who is ready for an entry-level position, really ready to grow within their career.”

“We’ve had a lot of conversations and I’m excited to start, you know, continue those conversations when we go on,” Andres stated.

Shelby Proctor, student outreach recruiter for Acadian Ambulance, emphasized the company and current job openings. 

“We hire and we train EMRs, EMTs and paramedics, and these are people that will be working on the trucks, but we also have other job openings as well.”

Proctor explained that other public relations, marketing, safety management and HR openings are available to UL Lafayette students.

Diane Hammonds, P.E. for Intelligent Transportation Systems, shared, “We came to the career fair because we are always looking for young, energetic, excited-to-learn interns and full-time employees; UL has a great engineering program.”

A few UL Lafayette students attending the fair also shared their experiences.

Kayla Willams, a freshman nursing major, commented, “I’ve talked to a lot of people and I’ve learned a lot of options that I didn’t know were possible.”

Hannah Mathews, another freshman and public relations major currently working with UL Lafayette’s Study Abroad program, hoped to find jobs dealing with international and cultural aspects.

John Baudoin, a senior and engineering technology major, attended his third career fair on Thursday and described his overall impression.

“I’ve been to the past two career fairs. I enjoyed it thoroughly. It introduces you to the industries that you’re going to be a part of,” Baudoin said.

Baudoin also emphasized the opportunity to meet and speak to people.

The career fair is just one of the many opportunities the Office of Career Services presents to help students understand the current fields that interest them and create impactful relationships with probable employers.

Such services can ensure students work to their utmost potential and help implement their degrees into a meaningful future.