Finding a job is hard, and finding a good one is even harder. Ivy Tech Valparaiso sought to make it easier on Friday with their Spring 2019 Career Fair, featuring over 20 employers in fields ranging from insurance to engineering.
Ivy Tech Community College offers education across all kinds of fields, and that diversity reflected in the companies represented at the career fair. Industrial leaders such as ArcelorMittal set up shop across from healthcare providers including the VNA of Northwest Indiana, while local beer wholesaler Indiana Beverage talked with other interested attendees. Ivy Tech welcomed students and community members alike to the event.
“I think it’s super important to be open to the public—we are Ivy Tech Community College after all,” said Abbey Durojaye, Director of Career Development & Employer Engagement at Ivy Tech in Valparaiso. “A big focus of ours is to show the community that we are here to represent them, not only our students.”
The college delivered messages to different organizations around the Region, such as Lake County Veteran Services, to encourage any community members seeking a job to visit the fair. Inspired by the success of their previous attempt last fall, this is the second time Ivy Tech hosted a career fair of this kind. Attendee Tianna Pearson, representing the company Aflac, was recruited by her employer during that same Fall Career Fair.
“I gave them my resume, they called me back, and I started the next week,” said Pearson, now a Benefits Consultant at Aflac. “At first it was very surreal. I was afraid to come to a fair like this, but I overcame that and approached the table. I got more than I expected. Of the three people I came with, two of us found jobs.”
Pearson’s success story is exactly what motivates Ivy Tech to continue offering events like the fair to the public.
“It’s so encouraging to hear those kinds of stories, and it speaks to the success of this fair not just for our students, but for the community,” said Kimberly LaBarge, Assistant Director of Marketing and Communications at Ivy Tech in Valparaiso.
“Our mission is to make a stronger Indiana,” LaBarge continued. “By inviting local employers, we’re helping people find a career path. It's more than just finding a job—it means not just living paycheck to paycheck, or for some, only working one job instead of multiple jobs, and it means finding a place to thrive. That’s our favorite part of being an asset to the community and our students.”
To learn more about Ivy Tech in Valparaiso, visit https://www.ivytech.edu/valparaiso/.
