Career Fair Highlights Opportunities for Columbia Nursing Students

In the current job market, it takes more than a great education to get your first nursing job. It takes creating that stand-out resume, getting coached for interviews, making best use of the internet and, perhaps most of all, networking with employers, recruiters and others in order to learn your professional options and decide what jobs you want to pursue.    

Columbia School of Nursing students and graduates were able to do all those things during the school’s second annual career fair on October 2nd, hosted by the school’s Office of Career Development. This year’s career fair, held in the Bard Hall ballroom, offered students the chance to meet with more than 25 prospective employers from around the tri-state area, get professional photos taken, and speak to representatives of various professional nursing organizations.

“We pride ourselves on going the extra mile to help students and graduates get their careers moving in the right direction,” said Brittany Pavon Suriel, coordinator of career development at Columbia Nursing.  “I want students from all stages in their programs to attend events like these, not just those approaching graduation.”

The Office of Career Development offers students year-round professional development and leadership skills training to prepare them for the transition from students to working professionals. The office provides one-on-one counseling, hosts special events like the Career Fair, and offers workshops and other services, such as resume reviews, cover letter assistance, networking, branding, and interview preparation.

“Perfecting your job hunting, networking and interviewing skills is similar to running a marathon,” said Judy Wolfe, EdD, associate dean of Student Affairs. “You can’t run 26 miles without training, preparing, and rehearsing. The Office of Career Development helps students gain confidence when they apply and interview for jobs. The career fair is an ideal opportunity for students to demonstrate all their hard work and accomplishments to interested employers.”

Employers represented at the fair included several major hospitals in the greater New York City area, as well as medical centers, community health center, recruiters, staffing agencies and the U.S. Army and United States Air Force.  As students lined up in front of the employer tables scattered around Bard Hall, they occasionally saw familiar faces, such as Elizabeth DuBois ’10, who worked a table for Community Health Care Network, a nonprofit that provides health care for low income New Yorkers. DuBois serves as director of both the APN and New Fellowship programs for that organization, as well as a family nurse practitioner.

 “We are always looking for good people to work in our 11 centers so I attend events like this regularly,” said DuBois. “One measure of success for us is how many resumes and follow-up emails we receive.”  For the career fair, DuBois received roughly 50 resumes at her table during the event and another 20 emails afterwards.  “I’d call that a pretty successful day,” she said.

Andrew Hsia, a student in the Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Master’s program, entered the ballroom prepared: He had attended similar career events in the past and the Office of Career Development had already helped him restructure his resume from five pages down to two.  Still, he felt a little intimidated at first.

“I was impressed with the services and number of employers at the event,” Hsai said. “There was a lot going on and at first I was a little nervous. But then I realized the employers were all there to talk to us about the work they’re doing and how we might get involved.  So I figured the best approach was just to be myself and see what I could learn.”

DuBois, from the Community Healthcare Network, agrees with Hsia’s approach.  “The enthusiasm of current students and graduates is exciting to see, and it always reminds us of why we want to hire them,” she said. “Often they aren’t sure what direction they want to take with their career. I’ve worked in multiple roles and settings, so I try to help them match their personality and interests to scenarios that may be the best place for them to start.”

That sense of support and professional camaraderie seemed to be a recurring theme throughout the career fair.  “The biggest takeaway for me,” Hsia said, “is that we are all part of this professional support network and there’s still plenty of opportunities in the marketplace.  We just need to prepare for these opportunities, be proactive in our job searches, and try to network at events like the career fair in order to meet people and see what’s out there.”