Dress to Impress and Brand to Success: A Career and Internship Fair Overview

Centenary University saw the return of the annual Fall Career Development Event and preparation events across the semester.

Pre-events

The first pre-event on the roster was a LinkedIn Workshop, held in the Taylor Memorial Library on October 20. To help students prepare their LinkedIn accounts, guest speaker Drew Wintemberg, a Centenary University Board of Trustee member and former Mars executive, gave an informative talk about what employers will be looking for on their profiles.

Students learned how to create a LinkedIn account, how to navigate the website, and what information they should put on their profile to look their best for future employers. After the event, students had the opportunity to get their picture taken for their LinkedIn profile, free of charge. 

The next pre-event for the big day was the Career Closet, a place where students can get interview-worthy clothing free-of-charge. 

“The Career Closet originally was two clothing racks that were started before Covid,” said Nancy Podesta, career coach & employer development specialist. “When I started three years ago, one of my goals was to restart the Career Closet and expand it.”

On November 3, the new-and-improved Career Closet opened in TML. Clothing racks and displays took over the lobby of the library on that Monday morning. Students were encouraged to come by and “shop” through a wide variety of professional clothing. From sweaters to suits, and shoes to ties, there were options for everyone. The Career Closet was open throughout the entire week.

“This would not be possible without the library,” said Podesta. “If it wasn’t for them, we wouldn’t be doing this.”

The Career Closet was supported by generous donations of clothing from Dress For Success Northern New Jersey and the Centenary University community, and further bolstered by a grant given by Enterprise Mobility, allowing more options and items to be purchased for students to choose from. Student volunteers also assisted in assembling the nine clothing display racks.

Students Helped Prepare For The Event 

“Career Development isn’t just about preparing for the next job;  it’s about preparing for life,” said Nick Storms, Career Development intern. “Every opportunity students have here at Centenary has helped shape their confidence, discipline, and ability to discover their unique strengths while building a community together.”

Through Career Development, they learn how to network with professionals and discover new ways to blend storytelling, writing, and purpose. It’s a space that helps students explore their interests and passions while connecting with people who can guide and support their future goals. 

“Working here, I found ways to merge my creativity and leadership into career opportunities,” said Storms. “I started to bring content ideas to the organization to promote the program for all students here at Centenary. For example, at the networking fairs, I had interviewed all the professionals representing their companies and how they turned their vision into reality. I came up with this idea because our audience will be entertained and interested in what this company represents and why it’s significant.”

Career & Internship Fair Day, November 12

On the day of the fair, 32 employers and organizations filled the cafeteria space and over 100 students were in attendance. 

Domestic Abuse & Sexual Assault Crisis Center (DASACC) was one of the organizations in attendance, represented by Associate Director Dean Hickey, and Crisis Response Manager Caitlyn Apgar. 

“The values of Centenary’s social work program align with ours,” said Hickey. “We know Centenary students are the best of the best. It’s the premier university in Warren County.”

“We’re looking for people who share our values of empathy and passion for survivors,” said Apgar, Centenary University alumnus. “We respect the determination and choices of our clients.”

The ARC of Warren aims to assist individuals with developmental or intellectual disabilities with daily tasks and needs within the home. 

“We’ve hired students from Centenary before,” said Shaquanna Lewis, recruitment and retention specialist. “We’ve been coming to Centenary for a few years now whenever they have their fair. It’s just amazing to get college students on board.”

Social work and education were the two majors in very high demand this year. If you belong to one of those programs, you were in luck this Fall.

“When I started last year, we had six or seven employers that always came back every year,” said Podesta. “This year, unfortunately, they weren't available to return. So I had to recruit other employers. I'm just excited about it; we have a full room.” 

“In past years, we weren't able to get employers that targeted all the different majors, but this year, we were able to promote this perfectly,” said Podesta.

The Career & Internship Fair is one of Centenary’s signature annual events, so students can look forward to attending again  next Fall. For help with building a resume, you can contact Nancy Podesta at nancy.podesta@centenaryuniversity.edu or book an appointment with any of the Writing Collab tutors. 

Even if you’re not in the market for employment or an internship, it’s always worthwhile to stop by and chat with the vendors to practice and polish your conversational skills. You never know who you might impress.