Brigham Young University Hawaii's semiannual Career Fair on February 26 in the Cannon Activities Center presented prospective graduates and other students with opportunities to meet potential employers while also providing insights into getting a good job in today's economy.
Kimbrelyn Austin, BYUH Director of Career and Alumni Services, said that our career fairs give students "exposure to employers. They may not find their dream job, but it's a good opportunity for them to practice and hone their skills: Talking to employers, asking questions, and learning more about opportunities so they are better prepared when they actually do have an interview opportunity."
Austin explained with the present state of the U.S. economy, "it's actually a very difficult time to find a job, and it's going to get harder. For example, we're seeing organizations that used to take interns say they're not going to do so now. If the interns were paid, they said they now couldn't afford to hire them; or if they're not paid, the interns would create difficulties in their organizations with other employees who are having to make cuts."
"Consequently, upcoming graduates have to be very well prepared. They have to stand out above the crowd. They have to start early, and they really have to work at it," Austin continued. She added this is true for both domestic and international students. "This is probably truer for the domestic students at the moment, and for the international students it means their best opportunities are found internationally, not in the U.S. That's more so now than ever."
Austin noted that domestic students can still find opportunities in the federal government — "that's where the hot jobs are right now. All the different functional areas are available in the federal system. They have very good jobs, with a lot of benefits and perks, and they're very family friendly. Students with U.S. citizenship need to explore those kinds of opportunities more."
BYU-Hawaii alumnus Alex Hess [pictured at right], a 2004 accounting graduate, exemplified Austin's point: He was at the Career Fair as a Hawaii-based federal examiner recruiting for the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), an Executive Branch oversight agency in all 50 states and U.S. territories that is funded by credit union fees.
Hess said right after graduation he worked first in banking, then telecommunications, and recently found his NCUA position networking with another BYU-Hawaii alumnus, Vonn Logan, through LDS Employment Services. "It [the position] wasn't even posted, but I networked myself."
Hess' supervisory examiner in Honolulu and Guam, Leslie A. Thomson, said she likes the BYUH Career Fair "because a lot of the students come from other places, and we hire all over the country. We're trying to encourage them to get into the government field of credit union examining." She added having Hess to help on familiar ground was a plus.
He said he enjoys working at the various credit unions or at home, and that since accepting the position he's traveled to the mainland three times and will soon spend a month in Hilo. "I enjoy the travel and the people I work with," Hess said. "It's really a great opportunity, and if I ever want to go to a different part of the country, I can transfer within the agency."
He pointed out that his wife, 2003 BYUH social work graduate Vaea Faatahe Hess, who went on to earn an MSW degree — "one of the few Tahitians with an MSW degree" — doesn't mind his traveling. "She works fulltime with foster kids for [Hawaii State] Child and Family Services. She also got her job through networking. I recommend it. You never know when you'll be able to help someone out, or you might need some help."
Hess said his BYU-Hawaii accounting degree "helped prepare me for the world and got me a job." He's stressed the communication and other skills he learned in the business core classes were also helpful, "and the teachers were really great. I've kept in contact with Professors Glade Tew and Kevin Kimball throughout the years."
He recommended prospective graduates looking for a job should "dress professionally. Make a good first impression. Number two, I know being technically proficient is important, but you've got to able to speak to people. You've got to have the social skills. You've got to be able to present information to people in a way they can understand it. You also have to have excellent writing skills. That's what other employers are looking for, and that's what we're looking for. Applicants need to have at least two accounting courses and an auditing course."
Hess confirmed what Austin said about government jobs, saying the NCUA has actually done "more hiring in this economy than before. We need more examiners."
Austin also plugged retail and service industries, such as with Target, Walgreen's and Enterprise Rent-A-Car, whose representatives were all at the fair. "Even if that's not in a student's long-term career goal, it's a good path to get supervisory and management experience," she said. "They tend to have good training programs, and it's a good way for new college graduates to hone their supervision skills, and then be eligible to move into whatever field they actually want to go into. They don't often think of it in those terms, and often ignore such opportunities, but they're good places to explore and start."
Austin said teaching also has opportunities, "depending on where students want to go. They often limit themselves geographically by saying they only want to go to one place. They need to be more open to different locations, because jobs may be open someplace else."
She explained, typically, 10-30 BYUH students make contacts at the semiannual Career Fairs that lead to accepting positions. For example, BYU-Hawaii business management senior Jermaine Odjegba [pictured at left] — a men's basketball team player who will graduate in June — has accepted a management training position with Enterprise in their Kailua office.
"I'm excited, and glad that we get to stay in Hawaii longer," he said. "My wife's family is in Utah and I'm originally from West Palm Beach, Florida, so we would love to go back to the mainland — hopefully in Utah, where I played for BYU for a couple of years, or somewhere in the West. Wherever work will take me."
"BYU-Hawaii has been a great experience, and I learned a lot," Odjegba added, "and it's prepared me for the outside world."
James Ritchie, Director of the Willes Center for International Entrepreneurship (CIE) agreed with Austin that the Career Fair "exposes students to opportunities in business, the military and government, and helps them to recognize that there are places to go, even in an economy like this. If you're ambitious and aggressive, you can still find ways to move up and out in the world."
"Those who ply the entrepreneurial world will always survive. There's always a way to get ahead," he said, advising students "to broaden their skill base, including all the technology they can get in their education. Then, of course, they really need to hone their people skills. Most employers want people who really have ambition, who are charismatic, and have personality. Those people who know how to sell themselves will always find a spot in industry, the corporate world, or in making their own way. People and leadership skills really give them the extra edge."
Ritchie added that the CIE's upcoming business plan competition on March 6 would feature "the biggest number of competitors we've ever had: We narrowed the 151 participants down to the top 47 competitors, and then down to the 15 finalists. We've never had that many before. There will be $55,000 worth of prizes."
The competition is part of the CIE's three-day Conference of Champions from March 4-6.
— Photos by Mike Foley