NORTHRIDGE : Career Expo Draws Fewer Employers
A bellwether of the recession, Cal State Northridge’s annual minority Career Expo is expected to draw the usual number of students this year--although the number of employers to hire them is diminishing.
Two years ago, said Darcel Bowles, CSUN career counselor and expo organizer, the job fair drew about 60 companies seeking to hire entry-level minority employees for internships, summer or full-time jobs. Last year, the number of potential employers dropped to about 40, and this year, only about 30 have signed up.
Bowles said she is pleased at the variety of jobs and companies that will participate, but said that it’s gotten tougher to organize the Career Expo as the recession drags on.
“I called the same employers I called last year and a good 10 said they are not hiring right now,” she said.
About 1,000 minority students participate each year in the Career Expo. This year’s expo is April 22, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the University Student Union in the Northridge Center. The expo is open to all students with valid identification, and students are encouraged to bring resumes.
Hard economic times in Southern California have posed special challenges for students about to graduate from college. John Arany, career counselor at CSUN, said he now counsels computer science and engineering students to expand their job searches to firms in Northern California or out of state. A decline in defense-related industries in Southern California has meant such students often search for jobs for six to nine months before finding one, he said.
