Employers from all around Minnesota are coming to see Gustavus students. On Tuesday, Sept. 30, the annual Careers Possible event is coming with a great variety of employers eager to talk with all students.
Careers Possible is an event for all Gustavus students to meet over twenty different employers around Minnesota. This can be looking into future career options, internships or just practicing networking skills.
Careers Possible has been going on for around twelve years in order to help students step into the real work application of their studies.
Jill VanOsdol, Office and Career Development Coordinator, describes the event as a more casual career fair.
“It’s more casual and laid back in the sense that its at Gustavus, you don’t have to be in a professional suit and tie but you’re still interacting with employers and getting that experience so in that sense it is a real career fair,” VanOsdol said.
Cynthia Favre, Director of Career Development, is really excited about this year due to the large variety in employers that will be there to talk with all students.
“What I am pleased about is the diversity in the types of employers. This is an event that we tell employers and students that all are welcome,” Favre said.
VanOsdol works with the employers and encourages students to go in order to go in order to gain experience and knowledge with talking to employers.
“I think every time that you meet with employers and talk with them, you get a little better at presenting yourself and to telling them what your career interests are and even figuring that out for yourself.”
Farve also encourages students not to be intimidated by the event. It’s a small group of employers and the career staff at Gustavus will be there to help support students and answers questions.
“It’s a good way to step into thinking about career ideas, it’s a small group, its manageable I think, also career staff is there to help and support and answer questions for students,” Farve said.
Sophomore Kristen Podrazt went to the event last year, and felt that students can gain knowledge about the real and all the options after college.
“I think students can gain knowledge on real world applications within their area of study as well as make connections within the business field. Additionally, I think the fair displays that the options after college truly are endless,” Podrazt said.
Careers Possible will held be on Tuesday, Sept. 30 from 10:30 a.m. till 2:30 p.m. in the Heritage Room.
The suggested attire for this event is business casual. If students have any questions, they can contact Cynthia Favre at cfavre@gustavus.edu or Jill VanOsdol at jvanosdo@gustavus.edu.
Farve provided a preliminary list of the wide variety of companies which will be represented at the event.
Among the organizations included will be Aerotek, American Family Insurance, Cigna Corp., Edward Jones, Federated Insurance Companies, Lutheran Volunteer Corps, Lurie Besikof Lapidus & Co., Marine Corps Officer Program, Minnesota Elevator (MEI), MN Environmental Health Assoc., MN Public Interest Research (MPIRG), Northwestern Mutual Financial Network- Bohannon Agency, Panda Express, Patterson Companies, Inc./Patterson Dental, Securian Financial Group, Serve MN Action Network, SPS Commerce, Target Corporation, The Boom Lab, Thrivant Financial: So. MN, Thrivant Financial Corporate, and Valmark Securities.
-Christine Peterson