A little early morning rain was not enough to stop USC’s spring semester career fair, which began as scheduled at 10 a.m. Hosted by the Career Center, employers lined up along Trousdale Parkway ready for the onslaught of aspiring applicants.
Students in professional attire with resumes in hand mobbed the booths, hoping to introduce themselves to potential employers. Umbrellas shielded each table from the light sprinkling of rain, and students were offered ponchos as they checked in. The networking went on uninterrupted.
For Julia Kehoe, a USC freshman studying business administration, it was her first career fair.
She used it as a chance to get to know employers, including USC alums, even though a full-time job isn’t in her near future. Kehoe also hoped to get a glimpse of what her post-grad job could look like.
“I think that all of the companies are very welcoming, open to answering all of our questions,” she said. “I think that if it was sunny, it would definitely have a better vibe to it. But I think that it provides a lot of great opportunities to understand what you do want to and what you don’t want to do.”
Celine Nghiem, a USC senior studying business administration, had one thing on her mind.
“Man, I just want a job.”
Having attended career fairs in the past, Nghiem appreciated one thing about the rain - that this one felt a little more personal.
“It’s honestly pretty nice. I feel like, I don’t know why, but there’s fewer people than last year. But maybe that’s just me imagining things,” she said.
These school-wide career fairs are intended for all students, regardless of major. However, Nghiem noticed a lack of humanities-focused positions, compared to STEM-related career opportunities.
“I personally prefer some of the school-specific ones, like the Marshall career fair, because there are more people I’m able to talk to because it’s more up my alley,” she said.
Nghiem is just one of many Trojans who hope this networking opportunity will result in a job. So much so, that even the rain couldn’t keep these aspiring students from their future career goals.