Fair offers employment opportunities

photo by Amy Babin

Rosette Martinez, D.C., enthusiastically described programs and opportunities at the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic, College of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. Senior biochemistry major Katrina Ordóñez is interested in acupuncture programs after her graduation from the University of La Verne. Ordóñez was among many students who visited the Career Fair on Tuesday in Sneaky Park.

by Valerie Rojas
Staff Writer

The University of La Verne Career Development and Placement Center hosted the annual career fair Tuesday in Sneaky Park, giving approximately 35 corporations the opportunity to inform ULV students of positions in their businesses.

Companies such as Wells Fargo, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Mercury Insurance and the Los Angeles and Covina Police Departments, were in attendance.

Employers set up their booths, complete with fliers and informational packets, in hopes of attracting any promising future employees.

Billie Mills, a group counselor for the Riverside City Probation Department, was looking to recruit students interested in working in the juvenile hall system. Group counselor positions are available, as well as a position of Deputy Probation Officer.

Working as a group counselor is like a stepping stone into the probation department, Mills said.

The Deputy Probation Officer position, like many of the other positions offered at the fair, require completion of a certain number of college units, some requiring a bachelor's degree. For this reason, most of the employers were interested in students graduating this year.

"The fair is mostly designed for seniors," said ULV freshman April Cardoza, a student worker in the Career Center. "But it is helpful to anyone looking to get their foot in the door or find out more information about their major."

Although most businesses were offering paid employment, there were a few businesses interested in finding student volunteers.

The Brethren Volunteer Service is an organization dedicated to preserving basic human needs and the spreading of peace.

Volunteering with BVS offers little pay and a lot of dedication; but as representative Dena Gilbert said, this experience "will change your life forever. It is for those who want to make a difference in the world."

Many ULV students attended the fair looking to find careers specifically linked with their major.

Nancy Gonzalez, a ULV sophomore and criminology major, attended the career fair in hopes of finding out information about various police academies.

"The fair was really informative and helpful. I wasn't able to talk to anyone from the FBI, but I did find out about some interesting training programs," Gonzalez said.

Besides just offering students the chance to learn more about possible employment opportunities, the fair also gave different businesses and organizations the chance to gain some exposure.

ULV's Legal Studies Program gives students the opportunity to receive their professional credentials and paralegal certificate.

The fair helps to raise visibility of programs such as this one on campus, said Elizabeth Miller, a representative for the Legal Studies Program.

"I'm glad I decided to attend the fair," said ULV freshman Daisy Gonzalez. "I learned a lot of stuff that will come in handy when it's time to actually get a career in a few years."

Laura S. Kiralla, Career Development and Placement director at ULV, suggests a few things that students should do before they can get a job.

Using resources such as the Internet, the Career Center staff and the local community, the student can build a strong network with potential employees, while learning more details about the job search process, she said.

"The key is for all students to begin their job search early. It takes students an average of three to six months to find full-time employment after graduation," Kiralla said.

For more information about employment opportunities on and off campus, contact the ULV Career Development and Placement Center at (909) 593-3511 extension 4430. You can also find job opportinities by visiting www.monstertrak.com and click on "search jobs" and enter the password: leojobs.