“Employers look for someone who is willing to hit the ground running. Companies are looking for the overall person,” says Dana Reeder, CEO and founder of Reeder Consulting: College and Career Paths.
“I look for the candidate to be on time for a job interview because I think if they are on time for their interview, they will be on time for work. Appearance is also very important,” adds Monica Del Campo, an agent with State Farm.
The two employers were participants in a Job Fair and Speaker Panel event held recently in Pecan Hall. Coordinators for the event were the NVC Business Council, Career and Transfer Services Center and Business Student Organization. The two-day event marked the first time the three organizations had collaborated on such an event.
In a discussion on the topic “Secrets to Success in Getting Hired”, panelists addressed two groups of students and provided tips on personal networking, building a resume, interviewing, getting internships and the importance of being adaptable.
Participants on this panel included Monica Del Campo, agent, State Farm; Patrick Quilty, NVC store manager, Follett Higher Education Group; Dana Reeder, CEO and founder, Reeder Consulting: College & Career Paths; and Kenny Vallespin, officer and human resources partner, The Bank of San Antonio.
The speaker panel topic for the second day of the event was “Jobs Available at Area Companies and What Your Day Will Look Like at that Job”. Panelists included Carolyn Sartori, vice president, GM Financial; Maria Placensia, supervisor, Claims Call Center, Nationwide; Art Manzano, agent, State Farm; and Felix Barrientos, recruiter, Spectrum. Daniel Placensia, also with Nationwide, discussed his work as a customer service representative handling calls related to claims.
Participants described jobs, work environments, company culture, base pay, bonuses and other aspects of working with their companies. While Nationwide, GM Financial and Spectrum are hiring primarily representatives to work at inbound or outbound call centers, agents at State Farm are looking for marketers.
“You have to communicate and sell and we can teach that. If you bring in money, I like you. In my typical day, I check my emails and I’m always coaching,” says Manzano.
Employers participating in the Job Fair included the Courtyard by Marriott SeaWorld Westover Hills, State Farm, Nationwide, Spectrum and GM Financial.
Ralph Mendez, NVC accounting faculty, moderated the sessions. He thanked panelists for sharing their information and experiences. “It’s really important for students to hear from someone other than their instructors.”
Speaker panels and presentations such as these are a project of the NVC Business Council, a membership organization which actively seeks partnerships and collaborations with businesses and their leadership for NVC and the students we serve.
Contributed by Lynne T. Dean, Director of Institutional Advancement at NVC.
