The University of Redlands Job & Internship Fair enabled students to prepare for life beyond the classroom by hosting local employers and organizations.
Over 160 students and alumni attended this fair, which took place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Orton Center on Wednesday, Oct. 9. Employers and organization representatives were on site to answer questions regarding immediate and long-term employment as well as internships.
This event was organized by the Office of Career and Professional Development (OCPD), with Maria Williams, the assistant director of employer and alumni connections, at the helm. The OCPD guides students through their employment endeavors by assisting with components like resumes, cover letters and interviews. They held a resume workshop prior to this Job & Internship Fair and have countless upcoming events, such as the Oct. 15 interview excellence workshop and Oct. 29 webinar on AI recruitment in the workplace.
According to Williams, the University of Redlands has had a career fair since at least 2018. There used to be a Career Expo in the fall and Career Conference in the spring, but in 2021 the OCPD switched to holding a Job & Internship Fair each semester.
Bryan Pipp, a graduate peer career educator with OCPD, explained how such events expedite the hiring process and enhance networking opportunities.
“It puts students in front of employers and employers in front of students,” he said. “A lot of these employers want people who are fresh graduates to come in and get in their management programs and or get hired with them. There’s also internships in there.”
Making an appearance at the Job & Internship Fair were federal institutions like the Peace Corps and Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, along with educational organizations like the Redlands Unified School District and REACH Leadership STEAM Academy.
Cut Line: Jiajun Kaczorowski ‘26 poses with representatives of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department at the Oct. 9 Job & Internship Fair. This was one of the seven law enforcement groups in attendance. 
Kelsey Pulver runs the Easterseals Southern California table at the Oct. 9 Job & Internship Fair. Since its establishment in 1919, this organization has expanded its service with operations in 73 American communities and four international partners. 
Alex Hyland represents PepsiCo during the Oct. 9 Job & Internship Fair. A University of Redlands Alumni, Hyland ‘20 convinced PepsiCo to participate in this event.
There were also social service groups like Easterseals Southern California, which works with those with special needs and disabilities, and retail businesses like Target and PepsiCo. This is actually the first year PepsiCo has made an appearance at the University of Redlands’ Job & Internship fair, thanks to Redlands Alumni and PepsiCo representative Alex Hyland ‘20.
“We usually go for the big schools, like USC or the University of Washington,” Hyland said. “But I feel like the University of Redlands, as a liberal arts college, offers students with diverse perspectives – lots of people that can think critically in a lot of different ways. So I volunteered PepsiCo to come here to look for students like that.”
Members of the University of Redlands’ Office of Career and Professional Development and business representatives alike testified to the importance of events like the Job & Internship Fair, which provides students with one-on-one interactions and the opportunity for employers to clarify general misconceptions. For instance, Brittney Spears from the Superior Court of California explained the diversity of positions within the judicial system.
“The court doesn’t just hire judges and lawyers,” Spears said. “We have all types of positions available like management, finance, information technology, human resources. There are so many positions it takes to keep operations in the court moving, and a lot of people don’t think that.”
In addition to the various employers present, the Job & Internship Fair featured a professional portrait studio and the opportunity to practice network pitches. There were also gift card raffles for both recruiters and attendees.
These cameras take professional portraits during the Oct. 9 Job & Internship Fair. Free of charge, professional portraits elevate job seekers’ resumes. 
Cut Line: OCPD members (from left to right) De’Janay Mathews and Pam Hasbun occupy the networking pitch station at the Oct. 9 Job & Internship Fair. This station enabled people to practice their network pitches in preparation for job interviews and interacting with employers.
If you missed out on this event, fear not! The OCPD provides assistance year-round and will host another Job & Internship Fair in March.
Photos by McKenzie Rose
McKenzie Rose is a freshman at Redlands with interests in Environmental Studies and Journalism. She worked for the last three years as a freelance journalist with the Hermiston Herald, a newspaper near her hometown of Echo, Oregon. She is looking forward to covering the interesting, the exciting, and the intriguing happenings at the university for the Redlands Bulldog!
This is a fantastic article — thank you! My daughter missed the event and it was great to be able to forward it to her.