2015 Ag Career Day Deemed Success

ag career day

Hundreds of students flocked to Ag Career Day at Cal Poly Pomona to prepare for their futures while employers came looking for talented young workers.

The April 14 event at Cowboy Corner was the first all-college Career Day since 2011. The steering committee – students Aasta Yim and Sara Schmitt, faculty member Dorothy Farias, and the Recruitment and Retention Office staff Danielle Townley, Nami Komatsu, and Rhonda Ostrowski – began planning for this event in the fall. They weren’t sure what to expect in terms of turnout after four years, so they worked to create incentives for students to come, offering door prizes and opportunity drawings, and asking faculty to encourage attendance.

Their efforts paid off: about 380 students attended – almost double the number from the last career day. Fifteen student clubs participated by providing 80 volunteers to help with publicity, set up and cleanup and other duties.

“This event would not have been a success without the contributions of faculty, staff and students,” Recruitment and Retention Coordinator Rhonda Ostrowski says.

The Career Center received 78 submissions for the Best Résumé contest, and 94 students took advantage of the opportunity to have a professional photograph taken in the AGREES Center for their job-hunting efforts.

Many of the students came professionally dressed and armed with résumés and business cards. They visited with representatives from 48 employers, many of whom came away suitably impressed with the students.

Other companies wanted to attend, but couldn’t make the date or contacted the Recruitment and Retention Office too late.

“Expect this number to grow next year,” Ostrowski says.

Two Career Days are planned for the 2015-16 academic year: on Nov. 5 in the Bronco Student Center, Ursa Major; and April 14 at Cowboy Corner.

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