When one thinks of a career fair, they automatically feel intimidated. The idea of corporations and potential employers scanning over resumes and forms galore often deters students from going to these events.
However, the CAHSS “Spark Your Career” Event held in the Sturm Building last Wednesday was more than your typical career fair. The event welcomed students from a variety of fields of study, but it was tailored to liberal arts students who wanted to learn more about applying their degree.
While walking around at the CAHSS “Spark Your Career” event, students had the opportunity to not only fill out forms and engage in meaningful conversations with a variety of employers and former students, but they could also engage in sharpie artwork and ice-breaker poems that helped facilitate a more genuine environment.
Not only was there an abundance of representatives from organizations and companies like Fresh Tape Media and Coors Tech, but there was also a strong presence from DU alumnae who graduated with liberal arts degrees.
“While we have employers like any other career fair, we do have a lot of alums mentioning creative opportunities and how they’ve used their degrees since graduating,” said Kyle Inselman, a career advisor here at the University of Denver. “We wanted to create an experiential event where alums and students could network in a fun, new way that was less intimidating.”
Students had the opportunity to talk to alums like Patricia Aaron, who graduated from the University of Denver with her MFA in 1999. Now a professional artist and occasional adjunct professor here at DU, Patricia Aaron shared her honest opinion on what it means to be “a creative,” or someone with an arts degree.
“I understand the drive,” said Aaron. “It’s an alternative path that doesn’t mean you’ll be broke, but it takes a lot of hard work.” She then proceeded to talk about her daughter, Chelsea Aaron, who graduated from DU with an English degree and has been working for SparkNotes for the past nine years.
With a dedication to the liberal arts like Aaron speaks of, students can potentially access their “spark,” a popular term among those at the CAHSS fair.
“Finding your spark is more than just finding a job. It’s also an idea for a class to take or for a major to explore,” said Inselman.
So, whenever the next career event rolls around, may all students—regardless of major—be encouraged to branch out and make connections. It might end up being more insightful and less stressful than they imagine. The “Spark Your Career: CAHSS Edition” event certainly ended up being that way.
If students are interested in attending events like the “Spark Your Career” fair, they are encouraged to reach out to career@du.edu.
