With internship opportunities in mind and a well-written resume in hand, approximately 200 Cal State Long Beach business students will attend the sold out 45th annual Meet the Industries Expo — creating networking relationships for potential careers.
The event will take place from 8 – 10:30 a.m. Thursday at The Pointe inside the Walter Pyramid. Attendees paid a $7 fee, and registered online to secure their spot.
The College of Business Association and Associated Business Student Organization Council are hosting the event, exclusively for CSULB business students.
Immediately following the event is the annual Job and Internship Fair located in the University Student Union. Hosted by the Career Development Center, the fair is open to all students and has a wider range of recruiters to accommodate the larger attendee count.
This year’s Meet the Industries Expo Chair Kateryna Svitlynets, has confirmed 23 companies attending, including Target, Wells Fargo, Boeing and Coca-Cola — this is the largest confirmed attendance rate from businesses.
According to Svitlynets, MIE has received positive feedback from the companies that have previously attended. In fact, more than half of the companies present at the event are returning companies.
“Many of the companies are locally based. We have some in Orange County, a lot in Los Angeles and credential advisors based in Long Beach,” Svitlynets said. “A lot of these companies are global, so they have a lot of offices around the world, but the recruiters that will be present at the event will be looking for positions around the area.”
As well as the meet and greet with career recruiters, MIE’s keynote speaker entrepreneur Mark J. Carreno will discuss entrepreneurship and his success with his marketing company IsComp Systems, Inc. The self-started business was founded in 1986 and focuses on providing technical support services to commercial organizations.
“The recruiters are actively looking to hire for internships and part-time positions, which is why I think it is one of the best resources for the college of business students,” Svitlynets said. “Every single recruiter who is coming to hire for these Fortune 500 companies is only looking to hire within the business field.”
The event provides students with a variety of internship opportunities to gain more workplace experience, Svitlynets said.
“Students should talk to anyone on the ABSOC board or get involved with organizations,” said Rue Yusufu, vice president of public relations for ABSOC. “We have resume workshops and other resources available.”
Students can also receive professional resume development on the scene with the help of the career development center, Yusufu said. Each attendee is expected to come prepared in business casual attire, with a completed resume and career pitches ready to give to the companies.
There are also step-by-step instructions for students who are attending MIE available on the event’s website, miecsulb.com.
Yusuf advises students who are planning on attending to prepare for the event by researching the companies they are interested in, have a well prepared resume and to keep an open mind.