UWM Diversity is Highly Desired by Employers at Career Fair

Kamara Jackson, the recruiting coordinator for the Career Planning and Resource Center, makes it her goal to build relationships with employers who are looking to hire diverse students from UWM. She was in charge of UW-Milwaukee’s Diversity Fair on Wednesday, Feb. 21.

Career fairs for college students are usually geared towards business and engineer majors. UW-Milwaukee hosted a different type of fair called The Diversity Career Fair. Employers are looking to hire both diverse people and diverse majors.

“Diversity has broadened my understanding of world around me as well as I’ve gained the ability the see past personal differences,” employer Sargent Dave Carswell said.

UW-Milwaukee’s Diversity Fair has been running for more than 30 years. This year, there were 73 employers. It was held in the Wisconsin room of the Union from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Over 170 students attended, according to Jackson. As students signed up, they received a packet with the employer list, the position they are hiring for and what major it focuses on.

Susan Fields, the program manager for the African-American Student Academic Services, was in the College of Letters and Science. Since most career fairs were solely based on business and engineer majors, she wanted to make a change, according to Victoria Pryor, student services coordinator of the Black Cultural Center. Fields started a career fair for black students which has now expanded multi-culturally, Pryor said.

Isatou Kibbeh, an educational phycology major who was encouraged from her class to come to the fair, came with her friend Aaliyah Hammond. They were both looking for internships, but right now Isatou works at Charlotte Russe.

“It’s good to not be around the same types of people,” Kibbeh said. “When you’re surrounded by different people, it makes you more aware.”

Two police officers from the Minneapolis Police Department were very much looking to hire more diverse students, as that is what their program wants.

“Our city is so diverse so we want to make sure the department reflects our community,” Police officer Jeff Webb said.

They have not been too successful at this fair because a lot of the students do not want to leave Wisconsin. If students did join, the academy would help pay for their schooling.

Just like Minneapolis, Milwaukee, and specifically, UWM is a very diverse community. On the Career Planning and Resource Center website they have a page with all of the different identity groups. For example, LGBT, International students, students of color and students with disabilities. These pages have links to events that relate to their identity group, tips on how to be prepared when looking for a job and how the Resource Center can help students.

According to Jackson, the ultimate goal of this fair was to connect students with employers. She wants employers to have UWM students on their mind when it comes to employment opportunities.

Every year they have new employers and new internship opportunities. “We have a diverse population,” Jackson said. “We have that over Madison, Parkside and Oshkosh because of the demographic we have as a whole.”

Asked whether she had any tips for students who were attending this fair and how they can really be prepared and wow the employers, she said that they should research the companies they are interested in beforehand. They should also have an elevator pitch and make sure they know how to present themselves. Most importantly, students should not be afraid to ask questions.

“This fair is important because it provides an opportunity for employers to have a central location in which they can talk to students,” Jackson said. “It gives them a larger platform to fill their needs.”

Now is this fair actually a success? Are there positive outcomes for the students? Jackson says that students come into her office and let her know that they have landed an opportunity. Leading up to that point, she helps students with their interview skills and talks about salary.

The students that came to this fair were eager to find jobs that had a diverse team. “Diversity is an area where we can make a difference and improve,” employer from Badger Meter Briana Webb said. “Different backgrounds and perspectives can benefit the organization.”