Employers Seek SMLR's Talent At First Schoolwide Career Fair

Above: SMLR MHRM student Monika Navandar (left) speaks with Carla Jacome (right), who graduated from the MLER program in 2011 and attended the fair as an HR representative for Cintas Corporation.

Boasting dozens of employers and hundreds of attendees, Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations held its first schoolwide Career Fair on February 1, 2013 at Livingston Hall. The event brought together leading companies in a variety of industries with approximately 500 SMLR students and alumni seeking employment in human resources and/or labor relations.

Charlotte Wang, a first year student in the master's program in human resource management (HRM), attended the event in pursuit of an internship. She says, "The employers were truly focused on our résumé and overall experience. I felt as if they were giving me all of their attention."

Several company representatives were SMLR graduates, including Carla Jacome, a May 2011 graduate from the master's program in labor and employment relations. Jacome attended the event as an HR representative for Cintas Corporation. She says, "Graduating from Rutgers really gave me an advantage over a lot of students, and I want to give back to Rutgers what it has given to me. I want to bring my company the great talent our school has to offer."

Olivia Zratko, a representative from Northwest Mutual Financial Network, was equally pleased with the turnout of SMLR students as well as their professionalism and ability. "They were very enthusiastic and eager, and it was good to see that everyone is interested and engaged in our work," says Zratko.

The career fair is a reflection of SMLR's continued commitment to providing students with the resources they need as emerging professionals. The goal is to give SMLR students the opportunity to meet with leading employers in their respective areas of study who are seeking to fulfill permanent positions and internships. In addition, students are given the ideal opportunity to practice their interviewing skills and network with alumni.

Tya (Rose) Marsh, a 2000 MHRM program alumna, seized the opportunity to network with employers. Marsh, who is returning to the HR field after starting a family, believes that the career fair was helpful and informative. "I was impressed to know that there were a lot of companies that have programs to help graduates and interns gain knowledgeable, on-the-job experience to prepare them for future work," she says.  

"There were a lot of companies who came here, so I was able to make some good connections," says Abukakar Ibrahim, a senior in the labor studies and employment relations (LSER) program.  

Above: A SMLR student networks with a recruiter.

SMLR's all-school career fair was a collaborated effort by Sattik Deb, director of student services for the department of labor studies and employment relations; Len Garrison, career services manager for the department of human resource management; Elizabeth Baker, program coordinator for the HRM undergraduate program; and Ellen Weber, administrative assistant for the HRM program.

"This career fair was groundbreaking in its scope and turnout, and we will continue to provide our students with the best services possible. It was particularly gratifying to see so many companies represented by SMLR alumni, which was an important demonstration of the professional success of our graduates," says Deb.

Employers included:

• The Access Group
• ADP
• Allstate
• Amneal Pharmaceuticals
• AT&T
• Avaya
• Baked by Melissa
• Bristol-Myers Squibb
• Cintas Corporation
• Dr. Reddys Laboratories
• HR Acuity
• Ingersoll Rand
• Kuehne & Nagel - Shayna Teitelbaum
  , who graduated from the LSER program in 2012,
  attended as the company's representative.
• Lowe's Companies - Deborah Toplansky, who graduated from the LER program 2008, attended as the company's representative.
• Merck - Jake Shannon, who graduated from the MHRM program in 2005, attended as the company's representative.
• New Jersey's Health Care Talent Network
• Northwestern Mutual
• NJM Insurance Group
• Oracle
• Pepsico
• Rutgers Society For Human Resource Management
• Samsung Fire and Marine Insurance Company - Young Kyu Lee, who graduated from the LSER program in 2011, attended as the company's representative.
• Sony Music Entertainment
• Unilever
• Verizon
• Visiting Nurse Association of Northern New Jersey

Click here for information on SMLR's Career Services.   

Above: Len Garrison, SMLR Career Services Manager, advises a student during the schoolwide Career Fair.

Professor Dorothy Sue Cobble discusses her research.

Professor Dorothy Sue Cobble discussed her research findings during an international workshop held on December 6-7, 2012 and organized by the International Labour Organization Century Project and the European Institute of the University of Geneva. Watch as Professor Cobble discusses a research project on the International Labour Organization and the international efforts of women in 1919 to raise living standards around the world. You can also view this on SMLR's YouTube channel.