On Wednesday April 15, California State University, Bakersfield held its annual career day. There were students bustling from one booth to the next filling the atmosphere with chatter and shrill laughs. Food vendors, private and governmental recruiters were seeking to share employment and internship opportunities to willing students.
At a time when the Employment Development Department reports that the current unemployment rate in Kern County is couched at about 11 percent, there are few chances for students to meet such a large conglomeration of potential employers in one place who are looking for a variety of students active in different fields. While there were more prominent organizations and business’ present like the California Highway Patrol, Special Olympics, Coca-Cola, and Taco Bell, there were also smaller, local organizations present as well like Young Trucking and Jim’s Supply Company—all offering various services from direct employment to internships.
The Special Olympics Regional Director for Special Olympics Kern County cheerily said that their organization’s plan in taking part in CSUB’s career day was to “recruit interns, coaches, and volunteers for our office.” She said that while Special Olympics was looking specifically for students involved in the kinesiology and psychology programs here at CSUB, they were also interested in students who more generally felt the altruistic impulse to assist adults and children suffering from intellectual disabilities. While the Special Olympics aren’t currently offering direct employment, they are offering students volunteer internships for class credit or not for credit.
David Rutter, the hiring coach from Taco Bell who oversees all the Taco Bell restaurants in Bakersfield said that he was looking here at CSUB for some “great talent.” When asked what his company sought to do at the CSUB career day, Rutter said that “We’re definitely connected heavily in the community, we have one of the largest community based foundations called TEAMS for Taco Bell and what we want to do is try and get some young talent whether it’s for the restaurant or as a team member at entry level or even if it’s management for people who aspire to grow with the company.”
As is to be imagined, Rutter said that Taco Bell wasn’t looking for employees in any particular field. “We have all kinds of majors that work for us right now whether its business or, we have a geology student that works for me, just all kinds of stuff.”
There were differing opinions, however, about the effectiveness of the career fair. Manny Mendieta, a 22-year-old accounting and finance major said, “I’m looking for an internship but there’s not many booths here [for accounting and finance].” He walked around for twenty minutes.
“I’ve had no success. I’m waiting for the mixer that’s going to happen in a few weeks, just came by to see if there’s any, but there’s not,” said Mendieta.
On the other hand, William Royer, a 31-year-old recent computer science graduate, who works as a temporary part-time instructor here at CSUB, said that the career fair had been very helpful. “OXY, all the big energy companies, the big hitters that hire tons of people, they always have IT positions that become available.”
To follow up with potential job opportunities, visit the Center for Career Education & Community engagement here on campus.
