Target, Buffalo State Partner to Help Students Prepare for Interviews, Careers

It doesn’t matter how capable you are of doing the job if you can’t get the interview.

“With that in mind, we’re working to provide our students with the professional skills they need to make the most of our annual job fair,” said Stephanie Zuckerman-Aviles, director of the Career Development Center (CDC) at Buffalo State.

This year, the CDC is holding a Professional Image Boot Camp on Thursday, April 2, in E. H. Butler Library 210 from 11:00 a.m.to 1:30 p.m. The Job and Internship Fair will be held the following Tuesday, April 7, also from 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in the Campbell Student Union Social Hall. 

Thanks to a new partnership between Target and Buffalo State, Target executive team leaders will accompany Greg Pare, senior group campus recruiter for Target, to take part in both the boot camp and the job fair.

“We chose Buffalo State as a partner because both faculty members and the career development staff made us feel very welcome,” said Pare. “Since beginning the partnership last June, we have hired four Buffalo State students.”

Pare explained that Target’s leadership team internship positions include a paid 10-week summer program. “We recruit students going into their senior year for that internship,” said Pare. “We also recruit graduating seniors for positions as executive team leaders.” Starting pay for such positions typically ranges from $47,000 to $50,000 a year.

However, Pare was quick to point out that he and the nine executive team leaders he’s bringing to campus for the boot camp are glad to help any interested students improve their professional presentation package. “We'll be staffing several stations to help students learn how to introduce themselves to employers, how to perfect their elevator pitch, and how to make the most of their interview,” he said.

Largest Job Fair Ever

Students will have plenty of opportunities to test their newly acquired skills at the event, because more than 60 employers are participating, making the 2015 job fair the largest ever at Buffalo State. “Employers are recruiting for both career positions and paid internships,” said Zuckerman-Aviles. “We want all our students, even first-year students and sophomores, to benefit from this event.”

Lynn Rogers, student employment coordinator, and Jessie Lombardo, associate director of the CDC, have worked with Zuckerman-Aviles to enhance this year’s events. Rogers learned that many students from the New York City area skip the job fair because they thought employers were recruiting only for positions in Western New York.

“Many employers, such as Target, have downstate locations as well as locations around the country,” said Rogers.

Altria, Ingram Micro, Mainstreethost, and People Inc. are gold sponsors of the Job and Internship Fair. Many participating employers will be represented by employees who are Buffalo State alumni, including Jamie Ferullo, director of the advanced computing division at Ingram Micro. Zuckerman-Aviles said, “Buffalo State alumni are making contributions in many different organizations, and they know better than anyone that our graduates make great employees.”