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January 14, 2009

ULM students pack Student Union to attend On-Campus Job Expo

Whether their goal was to make money or gain useful work experience, more than 200 students filed into Wednesday’s On-Campus Job Expo at the University of Louisiana at Monroe seeking employment opportunities of all kinds.

The Expo served as a one-stop shop for students looking for on-campus work. Several work-study supervisors from various departments tapped into the fresh talent available as they recruited students for the spring semester.

Freshman Mary Torres, 18, of Lake Charles and atmospheric sciences major Seth Fangue, 20, of Lafayette, busily scribbled their contact information onto sheets provided by ULM’s Department of Recreational Services.

Fangue carefully noted which days and hours he would be available during the week, after he penned his phone number near the top of the green-colored form. Fangue was looking to earn extra money when not in class, and, “they seem to be hiring,” he said.

Inwon Byun, 26, of Seoul, Korea, wanted to get work experience as much as find a source of extra income. The junior accounting major said he has earned a respectable 4.0 grade point average, but even he admitted that a graduate with good grades is more marketable when combined with solid job contacts.

“And when I become a successful person, out there in the real world, I will give back to the university,” said Byun, whose name roughly translates “one who is kind.”

Like Byun, Drew Danna, 21, a political science major from Monroe, expressed confidence that his education was on par with that of his peers around the state – and he has already had two paid internships, one with Gov. Bobby Jindal, to prove it.

So Wednesday’s job search wasn’t necessarily about getting more experience, said Danna, it was about the convenience of on-campus employment.

“I might even be able to put gas in my car,” he said, with a laugh.

ULM’s Office of Career Connections and Experiential Education in conjunction with the Office of Financial Aid Services hosted the three-hour event in the ballroom of the Student Union Building. Student Employment Administrator Roslynn Pogue said Wednesday’s event is one of several in development to assist student workers and departments in making mutually beneficial connections.

Another on-campus job expo is planned for the fall semester. Other Career Connections events include the upcoming Spring Career Fair and various workshops.

For more information visit the Career Connections Web site at www.ulm.edu/careerconnections or call 318-342-5338.

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