On Tuesday, March 7, Saint Paul College hosted a well-attended health sciences career fair for students from Saint Paul College and other Central Corridor Anchor Partnership schools. The fair began with a career panel moderated by C3 Fellows Director Brian Mogren and highlighted panelists Elle Nelson, Associate Recruiter at Regions Hospital, and Theresa Carroll, Recruiter at HealthEast. Mogren kicked off the panel, inviting the two panels to recall the least helpful questions they encountered at previous career events. Mogren sought to spark in attendees' minds a different way of thinking about jobs and careers.
The C3 Fellows program connects college students to healthcare providers located along the Metro Green Line. Students gain entry-level employment and necessary experience to become successful health care professionals. The program is one step in the Partnership’s laddering approach to career development for Central Corridor zip code residents. To date, partners have collectively increased the percentage of their employees who are residents of the Central Corridor by over 5%.
“Don’t just ask what I have open,” Nelson told students. “At any given time, I have upwards of 250 positions to fill. It’s important to have an idea of what kind of job you want.”
“It shows a lack of preparedness,” Carroll added to Nelson’s comment. “It gives the impression that you haven’t thought about what position would fit your skills and interests.”
Student questions for the panelists prompted tips about the importance of cover letters, recommended resume length, and how to make a job application stand out among the rest.
Following the panel, students spoke with representatives from healthcare and educational institutions. Education partners Metro State, St. Kate’s, and Augsburg College provided information about continuing education opportunities. Representatives from healthcare partners HealthEast, Regions, HealthPartners, Gillette Children’s Hospital, and Fairview discussed job opportunities, provided resume review, and offered mock on-site interviews.
.@StPaulCollege hosted successful healthcare career fair March 7: https://t.co/On72WfJ4MU
— CCAP (@CCAnchorPartner) March 13, 2017
The successful event exceeded expectations: student attendance was greater than predicted, and HealthEast and Augustana both set up interviews with promising students during the career fair.