As undergraduates, Lilly Devine, ’15, and Miranda Lombardo, ’08, brought their resumes to one of BSU’s regular job and internship fairs hoping to find opportunities that would shape their futures.
While at the fairs, both women made connections that opened doors leading them down successful career paths: Ms. Devine at the Boston news channel, WCVB-TV; Ms. Lombardo at the Massachusetts-based medical software and service company, Meditech.
Ms. Devine and Ms. Lombardo returned to campus Thursday to talk to current students about their companies at the latest Career Services’ job & internship fair. The event attracted more than 120 employers and many résumé-clutching students to the Tinsley Center.
In-demand fields these days include accounting and computer science, two important areas for every business. Healthcare and human services organizations are also in need of talented new employees, said Laurent Troland, assistant director of Career Services.
And, the manufacturing industry is increasingly looking for college graduates to work in sales and marketing, supply chain management and logistics positions, said Mr. Troland.
Here’s a look at successful career paths former Bears have pursued and what employers had to say about hiring BSU graduates:
WCVB-TV – During her senior year, Ms. Devine was hired by the broadcast media company to work as an intern. Upon completion of the internship, she was offered and accepted a part-time job in sales. A year later, she was promoted to a full-time job in programming.
WCVB Intern Coordinator Nancy O’Neill said Ms. Devine is a good example of why the company recruits students from Bridgewater State.
“We always get good candidates from Bridgewater,” she said.
Meditech – Ms. Lombardo had never heard of Meditech when first introduced to the company at a prior fair. Upon graduation she was hired for an entry-level position and has since climbed the ranks and now works as a technical training specialist.
“We hire a lot of students from Bridgewater State. They bring a good, diverse catalog; that makes it easy for us to find a home for them,” said Meditech Recruiter Bryson Michael.
W.B. Mason – The company’s Recruitment Specialist Samantha Roberts praised the diverse coursework BSU students complete: “We love coming to BSU. We know they are a great fit for W.B. Mason.”
The university’s varied majors allow W.B. Mason to meet a wide array of candidates, she said. The company was seeking to fill positions in areas such as accounting, operations and information technology.
Ms. Roberts brought along to this recent fair Kathaleen Starr-Mitchell, ’18, who completed her BSU studies in December and now works as an applications developer at W.B. Mason. Ms. Starr-Mitchell met Ms. Roberts at BSU’s STEM career fair. The connection led to her current job.
Job fairs “allow students to see where they can take their education,” Ms. Starr-Mitchell said.
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center – Recruiters from the hospital’s Needham and Plymouth facilities attended Thursday’s fair as the organization looks for people in a variety of areas from security to patient access to accounts payable.
Participating in the BSU fair helps Beth Israel connect with talent in the communities they serve, said Recruiter Kyle Bernardo.
New England Coastal Wildlife Alliance – Intern and BSU student Jake McDougall, ’19, highlighted the organization’s need for a variety of interns, including people who are not majoring in science fields. Graphic design interns, for example, help the organization publicize its work.
“BSU students are phenomenal and work very hard,” said Mr. McDougall, who connected with the alliance at a past fair.
The Children’s Museum in Easton – Operations Manager Steven Hill knows firsthand the value of a Bridgewater State education. Mr. Hill graduated from BSU in 1993 with a bachelor’s in physical education.
He now recruits BSU students for six internships offered through the museum including a public relations internship currently filled by Abigail Hatfield, ’18. The communications major said she feels better prepared having been exposed to real-world practices.
“Writing for an organization is a lot different than writing for a course. The work is more substantial,” Ms. Hatfield said.
City Year – Recruitment Manager Kristen Hill said the education nonprofit organization hired 15 Bridgewater students last year to work in service projects.
“Bridgewater students come from very diverse communities. They have unique experiences and skills that easily apply to our mission,” Ms. Hill said. (Story by Heather Harris Michonski and Brian Benson, University News; photos by Ms. Michonski)