On March 15, over 900 John Jay students took full advantage of the Career & Internship Fair produced by the Center for Career & Professional Development. “Each semester, the Career Center works hard to bring in a diverse group of employers to help students think about future career opportunities,” says the Career Center’s Senior Director, Will Simpkins. “It is clear that local and national employers place John Jay College at the top of their list of recruitment sites, and they routinely tell us that our students are the most prepared, most curious, and most driven.” Walking through the event, it was impossible not to notice the infectious enthusiasm the students had with the 101 employers in attendance. Here’s a sampling of thoughts, interactions and aspirations found at this year’s Career & Internship Fair:
U. Renee Hall, Chief of Police, Dallas Police Department
"It's a blessing being the first woman Chief of Police in the Dallas Police Department. And, it’s been amazing at this career fair because I've talked to so many young ladies who are excited about joining the police. At first they didn't think being the Chief was possible for them, but now they know that they can reach for that goal. If I could use one word to describe this fair at John Jay, that word would be ‘phenomenal.’ John Jay is committed to ensuring that all their students have access to every facet of law enforcement.”
Rawsan Jackson, junior at John Jay
"This was my first time meeting the Dallas Chief of Police, and all the information she provided me was really great and helpful. I'm actually thinking about going to Dallas. Once I graduate from John Jay, I'm willing to go wherever the money is good, the cost of living is good, and I can start a new life."
Emily Tarrats, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, John Jay '93
"I'm an alumna from John Jay, and it's nice to be back because I was in these students’ footsteps a while ago. I had just earned my degree, and I came to the career fair looking for a job. There were a bunch of law enforcement agencies, and I was intimidated by them because I wasn’t the law enforcement type. But I liked the work that the postal inspectors did, and I was impressed with them when they spoke to me. It was the only organization I applied to, and here I am 17 years later. This is where it happened for me, so I’d like to do the same for these students.”
Quanishia Mosely, Recruiter with the Metropolitan Museum of Art
“We are an iconic institution within the New York area, and we have a large security force within the museum. We’re looking for people in the metropolitan area who are committed to public service, want to be part of a non-profit, and enjoy security. The students here are super professional and really enthusiastic about law and criminal justice. I’m pretty sure we’ll be hiring some John Jay students, we’ve got a good amount of resumes, and they’re quality candidates.”
Jess Bishenkevich, Recruiter with the United States Tennis Association (USTA)
"We come here to hire people for our access-control positions—which is security and credentialing, making sure people have the right credentials to be in appropriate areas. A lot of John Jay students are great candidates. They know what they're looking for, everyone's prepared with a resume. They know what questions to ask."
Shannese Atkinson, senior at John Jay
"Last year the career fair helped me get a bunch of interviews. So I'm hoping to get a job this time. I'm looking for a job in counseling."
Charles Vaughn, Officer with the Dallas police department
“John Jay students are prepared because their instructors actually spearhead them in the direction for success. They don’t sugarcoat anything. John Jay students understand that they have to put the work in, and they’re really mindful about where they want to go and the process that they have to go through to get there. The students can only be as good as the instructors, and John Jay's instructors are fantastic at preparing their students for success.”
Dannerys Fuccillo, Human Resources Generalist 1-800-Flowers
"Our founder, Jim McCann, graduated from John Jay, so that's one of the main reasons why we always want to be here. Also, there's a lot of great students asking insightful questions and inquiring about internships. Right now, we're mostly recruiting for summer internships in all of our departments, including marketing, finance, IT, human resources and merchandising. But we also have full-time roles, primarily entry-level in IT and marketing."
John Mitchell, Officer with the Baltimore County Police Department, Baltimore County, Maryland
"We come here twice a year, and this is our eighth time. John Jay students are hard working, dedicated and well educated. They've been very beneficial to our agency. If you're a John Jay student looking to join the Baltimore County police department, I suggest that you keep a clean record, and realize that everything you learn here benefits you when you enter law enforcement. It’s also important to know that we take all different educational backgrounds, it's not just one particular college major that we’re fixed on. Diversity is very important to us, we're focused on getting a reflection of our communities, which entails all genders, races, and religious backgrounds. Everybody's welcome."
Sergeant First Class Mariecha Rowe-Watson, New York Army National Guard, John Jay '03
"I was a freshman right here at John Jay College and I met a recruiter at the job fair. He introduced me to the benefits of the Guard, and here I am 18 years later. The students are talking to me about what their goals are in the future. I liked that a lot of them were dressed for success today. And, they were walking up to every table and talking to people."
