6 Stories from the Spring All Majors Career Fair
The bus pulls up to the stop at North. You hop down the steps and begin to walk up the ramp towards Green Hall. The doors of the LaHaye Multipurpose Center are propped wide open, and the immediate buzz seeping through the air signals that you have come to the right place. Inside, you see the friendly face of a smiling Career Coach, who helps you check in and welcomes you to the All Majors Career Fair. You have arrived at the job search amusement park. With numerous employers waiting to greet you, take your resume, and offer you a free goodie from their table, there is plenty to see and do.
Take Off
You first speak to Endeavor, an airline that is connected to Delta. In 2013 they changed their name and relocated from Memphis to Minneapolis. Despite having one main location, their reach extends across the globe. “‘Connecting the world’ may sound kind of cheesy but it’s true,” says the HR manager. They are looking to hire people in all corporate areas, such as tech operations, flight attendants, HR, or marketing, not just pilots. All of these positions come with travel benefits the first day you start the job. Specifically, they are seeking to work with people who have a high level of professionalism.
Called to the Capitol
Wandering along, you strike up a conversation with Erin from City Light Church. They are located in Falls Church, Virginia, only fifteen minutes outside of Washington D.C. Their internship program is paid and offers summer, semester, or year long internships. It is competitive, offering a $2,000 stipend and housing. City Light makes an effort to partner with nonprofits like pregnancy centers and food shelters. “We don’t want to be just a Sunday based church,” says Erin, “We want to be a community-based church.” Erin herself started out as a summer intern when the church plant was born in the midst of the pandemic. “The fact that we can do an internship program like this is an answer to prayer just because of how new the church is,” Erin reflects. City Light currently has a congregation of 500 people with eight full-time staff and three working part time.
Student Perspective
Elaine Webb, a freshman majoring in Digital Media and Journalism, says, “It was really awesome to be able to walk around and talk to different tables, just to get to know different companies, even if I specifically can’t do it with my major. It’s just incredible to be able to get to talk to them and get to know their stories of their company and what they are looking for and not only finding recommendations for myself but for my friends, to be able to gather resources and materials for them as well.” She goes on to say, “I just love being able to walk around and see so many people taking their jobs seriously, taking their careers seriously. You can see how much the students care and how much the companies care about us as well. It’s really comforting.”
Friends Don’t Let Friends Eat Pancakes
Moving on, you find a table that catches your attention – Waffle House. You are greeted by the explanation that, “We are the fourth largest restaurant chain in the US, the largest 24-hour dining operation on the planet, and the best and only place to have awesome waffles!” If you were wondering if they serve pancakes or not, you can answer that question by reading a pin that says, “Friends don’t let friends eat pancakes.” Waffle House is currently hiring managers, interns, and hourly positions. The internship is primarily aimed at rising juniors and seniors interested in learning about leadership and management. It involves directly working with a manager and provides an opportunity to fast track your career. What is the best menu item? According to a Multi-unit Manager, “Ah that’s easy, it’s what I had for breakfast this morning: scrambled eggs and cheese, and bacon. It was yummy!”
Building Bridges
English is a construction company you may not recognize in name, but you know their work. They have built many of Liberty University’s buildings, including the School of Business, Commons 2, and the Medical School. There are three divisions of English’s construction: Vertical, which are standard buildings; Civil, which includes roads and bridges; and Utility, which is focused on water treatment plants. Although English hires primarily engineering and business majors, they are looking for people in a variety of areas to help them with their company. “A lot of people think that it’s just construction that goes into it, but it’s a lot more than that,” says the Risk Manager, “So it’s management. Think about all that goes into a building, it has to be managed. You can’t just show up on a job site on day one and put it all together. A lot of different skills are needed.”
Embraced by Employers
Student Andrés Choque is a junior in software engineering. He was able to talk to many different companies such as CloudFit, UXT, and Samaritan’s Purse. “It’s been really good meeting all these people,” Andy reflects, “Everyone is so warm and nice to you as well and it’s been a good experience. I wish I had more time to share a connection with all these employers and all the managers, but I did create essential relationships.” Andy already has tons of experience in his field and enjoys networking. His favorite part of the fair was, “Probably all the employers. There’s a big diverse group of employers whether it’s law enforcement, or retail like Target and J. Crew, or whether it was tech like CloudFit or BWX, or SC engineering. All of the employers were so nice, they were welcoming, they were warm. That really stood out.”
As the All Majors Career Fair wraps up, you walk out the doors with a handful of business cards and trinkets as souvenirs from the afternoon. You feel satisfied in knowing that you had an opportunity to connect with both your peers who are also looking for a job, and with your potential future employers. A fresh breeze runs through your hair, and you realize your future is as bright as the late afternoon sun. You cannot wait to talk more to employers and attend the All Majors Career Fair next semester!
Written by Lexi D’Avello 
