Spring 2017 Career Fair Features More Than 40 Employers

The Spring 2017 Career Fair
Photo by Joel Kumahata

By Joel Kumahata

Representatives from more than 40 companies had job talks with hundreds of Trinity students at the Career Fair yesterday.

Company tables filled the sunken stage of Laurie Auditorium, offering opportunities from the paid internships of philanthropic organizations like Public Allies, to employment with the United States military. Several big name companies were at the fair, including Dell, HEB, Valero, and Edward Jones.

Annie Cutler, employer coordinator for Trinity University’s Career Services, which hosted the fair, said several companies became sponsors of this career fair, such as the Houston Branch of Capgemini and Valero.


"As sponsors, companies paid a little extra money for more booths and better accommodations in return for benefits like isolated areas of the fair and banners," Cutler said. 

Alan Toscano, a Trinity alum, represented Capgemini at the career fair. 

"We hire a lot of Trinity alums into our Houston office," Toscano said. "Our corporate VP is a Trinity alum. He really loves our drive and passion."

Toscano said his company's sponsorship of the fair is a way to give back to the university.

"We care a lot about Trinity students and we want them to apply to our positions," Toscano said.

The students themselves were nearly as diverse as the avenues offered them, from all majors on campus and different classes. James Lovett, a sophomore majoring in political science, had a rather clear expectation for the outcome of attending the fair.

"A job, like an internship," Lovett said. "I'm just a sophomore. I'm really good with marketing, and anything, maybe psychology research?"

Another sophomore, Kristi Tilghman, majoring in Business and International Studies found the fair helpful.

"The sheet of companies that came was useful and the people representing at each booth were so helpful in answering all my questions," Tilghman said. "Especially since I am a sophomore still deciding my major and not quite sure what the real world of real jobs completely asks of me."

Meanwhile, some upperclassmen furtively glanced through their “How to win the Career Fair” handouts to remind themselves to make eye contact and shake hands with company representatives.

“It was definitely a learning experience, it was the first one I went to,” Michael Newton, a junior majoring in computer science, said. “I kind of wished I had gone earlier than second semester my junior year.”

The brightly lit arena became a kind of terminus for students, both those nearing graduation season and those only looking ahead.