Olivia Resch, the director of growth and agency development at Senior Benefit Services, talks with Dominic Citrowske about career and internship opportunities with the company during the Spring Career Fair at the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center. (Photos by Derik Holtmann)

Victor Chiu and Maria Mayer were both prepared for the Spring Career Fair at the University of Missouri–St. Louis thanks to Teaching Professor Lynn Staley, the coordinator of the Business Writing Program.

“She helped us with making a resume and setting that all up,” Chiu said. “Then today, we came in with it, and we were ready. She told us how to present ourselves.”

Mayer concurred and supplemented Staley’s advice with her own preparations.

“I did a lot of research on how to present myself, how to ask questions, how to keep the conversation organic and going,” she said. “I also did a lot of research on my top internships that I would like to land here, and I brought that with me just to have on hand.”

Friday morning, they joined two friends and roamed the lobby of the Blanche M. Touhill Performing Arts Center with folders full of resumes and an air of confidence.

Chiu, a junior majoring in business administration with an emphasis in entrepreneurship, and Mayer, a senior majoring in business administration with an emphasis in finance, both have plenty of experience and practical skills on their resumes.

Like many UMSL students, they’ve worked while going to school. Chiu has been employed at a local gym for about six years and has experience in sales, leadership and training. Mayer worked full-time during the fall semester while taking online courses and has a background in customer service, team management and process optimization.

Students had the opportunity to connect with 85 employers in a variety of industries at the event.

But Friday’s event presented an opportunity to potentially gain more industry specific experience and prepare for life after graduation. Chiu was open to speaking with any of the potential employers stationed at booths lining the Touhill lobby, while Mayer had her sights set specifically on finance internships at Northwestern Mutual and Boeing.

“Everyone’s been really very welcoming and friendly,” Mayer said. “It’s been a great overall experience.”

Chiu and Mayer were just two of more than 430 students and alumni who attended the event. More than 200 representatives from 85 employers took advantage of the opportunity to connect with attendees face-to-face.

The list of companies on hand included regional leaders – Ameren, BJC HealthCare and Spire – as well as firms in fields ranging from biosciences to marketing to real estate. Multiple employers joined the event for the first time, including Interco, a specialist in nonferrous metals recycling; National Rarities, a leading dealer of fine art, jewelry, watches and more; and Witte Brothers Exchange, Inc., a transportation services company.

UMSL alum Lucas Palmer speaks with graduate students Sachina Koirala and Anisha Inaganti about job opportunities with Roeslein & Associates.

Dominic Citrowske, a junior majoring in computer science, was on the hunt for his first computer science internship. Citrowske is currently working on building his resume, and he jumped at the chance to meet employers in person rather than applying online. Boeing and Cass Information Systems, Inc. were at the top of his list, but he was pleasantly surprised by his conversation with representatives from Grimco, Inc.

“They build LED lights for stop signs, those type of things,” he said. “I had no idea who they were, but I was like, ‘You know what? I’ll talk to them.’ They were very nice people, and I didn’t think they would have any computer science-based stuff, but they did, which is kind of crazy.”

Harfateh Singh, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering, was also looking to get his foot in the door.

“I really was interested in looking for internships this summer,” Singh said. “I tried last year, but I didn’t have too much luck because I was straight out of high school. Now that it’s my second year, I’m a little bit more well versed. I wanted to try my luck again, and I think I was more prepared this this time around as well.”

After making the rounds, he was encouraged by his conversations and optimistic about his prospects.

“I think it’s going great,” Singh said. “I’ve talked with the companies I wanted to talk to. I had good conversations. I learned a lot about them, and I made sure they learned a lot about me. So, it was good.”

Allyson Small, a campus recruiter for Veterans United Home Loans, speaks with John Schultz, a recent UMSL graduate, about sales roles and internships that are open to a variety of majors.

UMSL alum Lucas Palmer was in attendance representing Roeslein & Associates, a large engineering firm that specializes in prefabrication and modular manufacturing, particularly for can making and industrial plant facilities. Palmer graduated from the UMSL/Washington University Joint Undergraduate Engineering Program in 2019 and worked his way to a full-time role as an electrical engineer through an internship with the company.

On Friday, he was recruiting for an internship beginning in May. The UMSL students he spoke with were very eager and ready to learn – two traits that align well with Roeslein & Associates’ company culture.

“The biggest thing is attitude,” he said. “Our CEO has always said, ‘Attitude is everything.’ If you’re a good person, that’s what we look for. We’re happy to teach you as much as you need to know.”

Allyson Small, a campus recruiter for Veterans United Home Loans, was recruiting for entry level positions and a summer internship, both focused on sales, at the company’s St. Louis office. Though Small typically has luck placing business students in sales roles, she said Veterans United is happy to consider all majors.

Like Palmer, she was impressed by UMSL’s driven, enthusiastic students.

“Everyone’s had really good energy,” said Small, who was attending her second career event at UMSL. “We always have good luck at UMSL. People are always very kind and eager to approach. So, we always love coming by.”