On March 12th, 2025, Lewis University Hosted their annual career fair for students and alumni of the community.
The career fair is an event that the university has been hosting for over ten years. This event allows students from all different fields, to practice for interviews and to expand their network, allowing them to put into action their knowledge, research skills, and public speaking in front of real companies.
According to Dr. Julie Cosimo, Director of Career Services, “The goal for this event is to allow our students and alumni to connect with your employer partners for the purpose of exploring internship and full-time job opportunities.”
She goes on to explain that, “This event provides students and alumni an opportunity to meet the recruiters from the companies that are in attendance and students have the opportunity to introduce themselves and share their resumes with the recruiters. “
“There were some companies or organizations that participated in the event that offered interviews and/or made conditional offers on the spot. Generally, when a candidate applies for a position, their resumes or cover letter may not rise to the top of the pile for numerous reasons. One of the main reasons is that they are competing with so many other applicants. This event provides a wonderful opportunity for the recruiters to be able to speak to candidates on an individual basis.” stated Dr. Cosimo.
This year, the department of Career Services was able to make the event one of the largest ones, due to the fact that the career expo of 2025 had 108 companies come and meet the students of Lewis University.
Dr. Cosimo explained that the department had put down criteria for all of those companies that attended. Some of the requirements were that they must align with the programs and mission of the university, and they also had to offer full time jobs that require a degree or an internship.
“Our goal at this time is to continue to grow the expo with a focus on getting representation from industries that align with our majors. While we do our best to invite many of our partners that would offer positions to our students that align with our programs, each organization is unique in their recruiting strategies. With so many other options for technology now, some employers are choosing to place a heavier emphasis on using virtual platforms to recruit and interview candidate. ” said Dr. Cosimo.
It is encouraged by the Career Services department, that students attend this type of event that happens around campus, since it allows them to practice their elevator speeches, how to talk to recruiters, what companies are located within the area, and what their resumes should look like based on the company they wish to be in.
Dr. Cosimo goes on to say “They have to be very strategic in developing a job search campaign and the Career Services can help with this. Also, AI will change the way companies recruit students, and they need to be ready for this. “
