March 19, 2004

Mardi Gras Career Fair: a rousing success

by Mary Anders, A'05, Intern in the Offices of Public Affairs and Publications

Upon graduation, there are seemingly endless opportu-nities in front of graduates, and daunting challenges. One of those challenges could be finding a job. To assist students in their career search, Loyola's Counseling & Career Services Center annually hosts the Mardi Gras Invitational Career Fair. The fair, held February 23 and 24, attracted more than 1,150 students from all seven area colleges and universities, making it one of the most successful in the event's history.
From its inception, the fair consortium consisted of Loyola, Tulane, and Dillard. By 1996, UNO, Southern, Xavier, and Our Lady of Holy Cross College were also participants. According to Joan Gallagher, a counselor at Loyola, the spike in attendance can be attributed to one factor: the change in venue. In years past, the event has been held on Loyola's campus. This year, the fair took place at the New Orleans Riverside Hilton Hotel. An additional 100 students attended compared to last year. Loyola provided its students with a shuttle bus to facilitate their attendance.

"The students perceived it as a more professional event because it was off campus, and that was evident to the career and counseling services staff and the recruiters," Gallagher says. "Loyola students stood out at the fair because they were very prepared. They had impressive resumes and dressed professionally, which made a good impression on the recruiters." This is due in part to mock interview days and career panels the center sponsors throughout the year to prepare students for events such as the career fair.

More than 90 companies and recruiters targeted students of every major, from history to accounting, Gallagher says. Recruiters set up booths to represent their agencies and draw in potential employees. "Recruiters believe that you develop marketable skills in every major," Gallagher explains, "and the diversity of potential employers at the fair gave students from every major the opportunity to find something that appealed to them." Gallagher went on to say that there is a nationally directed effort to draw recruiters to New Orleans, and "we offered them Southern hospitality and the opportunity to experience a taste of Mardi Gras."

There was a 15-percent increase in the number of government agencies that sent recruiters this year, including organizations such as the Central Intelligence Agency and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Gallagher says after the terrorist attacks on September 11, the job market has increased the number of jobs within the government to ensure national security.

On the first day of the fair, students met with the recruiters and distributed their resumes. From this, many were selected to return the second day for personal interviews; some students preregistered online and had scheduled interviews in advance. Internships also were available, and students of every classification attended the fair for this reason.

"Many students felt intimidated beforehand, but left the fair really excited about the assortment of opportunities available," Gallagher says. "This really is the most effective job-seeking venue all year, and this year was an even greater success."