Cassie Wade
NEWS EDITOR
On Thursday, University of Nebraska at Omaha students looking for an internship, part-time or full-time job had the opportunity to connect with employers at the Summer Opportunities Fair.
The Summer Opportunities Fair, which was hosted by the Academic and Career Development Center, was held from 1-3 p.m. in the Community Engagement Center. ACDC Assistant Director of Employer Relations and Internships Joe Hayes said 50 employers were in attendance and a variety of opportunities were available to students.
“What’s unique about this event is that there are – with the Summer Opportunities Fair – full-time jobs, part-time jobs, internships and volunteer opportunities available,” Hayes said. “It’s a little bit of everything.”
One of the companies at the event interested in speaking with students about a variety of positions was the YMCA. Available jobs range from lifeguarding to being a summer camp counselor to working the front desk, according to YMCA employee Monica Taylor.
Taylor, who works at the Maple St. YMCA, said UNO students were hired through the last career fair
at UNO. Her location has 20 positions available for the summer.
“We know students are close to our locations,” Taylor said. “They’re here locally and a lot of them don’t take classes in the summer, occasionally. We hire a lot of summer help. It’s easy to kind of fit those college kids into there.”
With long-term employment opportunities also available, the event catered to the needs of students who will graduate in May, such as Andrew Hickman.
Hickman, a graduate student earning a master’s in economics, attended the event with a game plan and a list of potential employers in mind.
“I’ve kind of earmarked most of the financial services companies that are here, so First National, Wells Fargo, Metro Credit Union … that’s what I’m hoping for,” Hickman said.
Hickman has attended UNO career fairs in the past and gotten an interview through the event, but wasn’t selected for the job. He still finds UNO career fairs to be helpful, however.
“Without this kind of thing, I would just feel like I was just shooting applications out into the dark and kind of wondering,” Hickman said. “At least this way I can look and talk to people and actually get a sense of things.”
