Many students felt left out of this semester’s Career Expo held at the BankUnited Center last Thursday.
General Electric Co., American Express, Morgan Stanley and others eagerly awaited prepared students and University of Miami alumni.
Feedback from international students, however, was not positive. Some did not even attend the event because, upon visiting the employers list online, they found that the companies which actually accepted international students with student visas were scarce. Those that did have a chance to talk to employers found that some were unprepared for the students and simply referred them to their company’s Web site.
UM prides itself in being diverse by welcoming students from all around the globe. It is discouraging to have such a large group of foreign talent and not allow them to put their knowledge into practice.
Other students also mentioned that most of the employers at the event were concentrated in the areas of engineering and business, thus leaving out another large portion of students.
With everyone competing to get that desired summer internship or that dream job, many students left with a bitter taste in their mouths, along with low hopes.
For the next Career Expo, recruit more employers that are willing to hire international students and that come from a variety of different fields. Perhaps even hold separate events altogether- one for internships and one for jobs. One last suggestion would be to make the event on the weekend; many students could not attend because it interfered with their classes.
Kristina Lacayo is a sophomore majoring in public relations and international studies. She may be contacted at klacayo@themiamihurricane.com.