Cookout with Careers brings job opportunities to campus

On a damp April 10, Eastern’s Center for Career Development hosted their Cookout with Careers event in the gym for students to connect with potential employers in their field of interest. Over 35 employers were represented from across the Greater Philadelphia area looking to hire interns, part-time employees and entry-level positions in nursing, social work, education, finance and more. 

Cookout with Careers differed from the business attire and printed resumes many expect at a traditional career fair. Instead, Cookout with Careers was designed so that students and employers meet on more approachable terms and share common interests over a casual meal. Abigail Brooke, Assistant Director of the Center for Career Development, said, “We found that resonates really well with students and employers, because it takes a lot of the pressure off and they’re able to be more human and have real conversations.”

Eastern Alumni Michelle Germaine was at the Cookout for Careers as an employer representing Meridee Winters School of Music. Germaine, like many other employers, was representing a company they trust and wanted students to share the kind of job experiences they’ve had. “I think we have a really cool job position at Meridee Winters. I’ve had a good experience working with the company and I want to recommend it to current students,” Germaine said.

“I think that the career fair is really well done,” Germaine continued. “Sarah Todd is awesome and her Center for Career Development is awesome. I’ve always looked up to Sarah Todd and I think she’s doing an awesome job connecting students to careers.”

Many students came to browse the booths of potential employers with hopes of finding something applicable to their major. Moon Bellitta, a social work and psychology double major, said, “I’m starting my junior year, and I have to find an internship for next semester. I wanted to come and see what was here. Also, there was food.” 

Psychology majors Samantha Sturkey and Jamiyah Jackson attended the event as seniors ready to graduate. Sturkey said, “Since I’m graduating, I wanted to see what options were available for me.” 

Jackson agreed and specified that she was looking for either internships or jobs. With an event this approachable, it was easy for students like Jackson and Sturkey to come without researching employers ahead of time. When asked about which employers they were eager to see, Sturkey replied, “We’re just going to look around and see which ones are available.”

Months of preparation and hard work were put into the Center for Career Development’s biggest event of the year and Mackenzie Bancroft, Eastern’s Center for Career Development Administrative Assistant, tackled the project head-on. Brooke praised Bancroft’s hard work by saying, “She [Bancroft] is really the backbone of Cookout… It was a team effort, but Mackenzie does all the detail work, all of the coordinating with the employers. This event wouldn’t happen without her.”