Baruch Draws Top Companies Seeking New, Multi-Cultural Talent at Diversity Career Expo
April 1, 2021
Baruch President, S. David Wu, welcomed more than 700 students and recruiters from nearly 50 companies, as well as the staff shown above, who attended the Spring 2021 Virtual Job & Internship Fair in February.
The Baruch Starr Career Development Center hosted its 5th Annual Diversity Career Expo on February 26, attracting 45 employers from a wide range of industries seeking new, qualified talent from diverse, multi-cultural backgrounds.
President S. David Wu welcomed the more than 370 students, along with company recruiters, attending the virtual event, which was co-sponsored by the Baruch SEEK Program, Success Network, the Black Male Initiative, the Urban Male Leadership Academy, and Student Affairs’ Black History Month planning committee.
Keynote speaker Sonia Shields, SVP and Global Head of Campus Recruiting and Program Management at Bank of America and a well-known Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) expert shared key insights about DEI programs in the workplace, including the specific benefits that highlight the importance of such initiatives for businesses in all industries.
Ellen Stein, PhD, director of the Starr Career Center, speaking about the genesis of the event and its continued importance, said, “In light of the racial unrest and the disproportionate impact the pandemic has had on people of color, employers big and small have been revisiting their commitment to their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives. The Starr Career Development Center has long prized our work to expand opportunities for our diverse student body and has similarly recommitted to expanding our own DEI programming. This includes new forms of tracking Minority- and Women- Owned Businesses and Enterprises we partner with, further examination of career engagement and outcomes along racial and cultural lines, and more.”
Participating organizations included Allison+Partners, AlphaSights, Grant Thornton, GroupM, Horizon Media, Hudson Bay Capital, KPMG, Macmillan Publishers, Mizuho, RTI International, SEO Career, Societe Generale, Target, Teach For America, and YMCA of Greater New York, among others.
Students Network Via Breakout Sessions
Following the keynote address, participants split into more intimate breakout rooms for a series of moderated panel discussions on diversity-focused recruiting strategies, featuring employees and alumni working in different fields. Topics included mentorship programs, employee resource groups, DEI trainings in the workplace, and the pipelines that businesses utilize to recruit diverse talent.
An additional breakout session, hosted by Baruch’s Max Berger Pre-Law Program, focused specifically on law school pipeline programs.
In the final phase of the event, each organization hosted their own breakout rooms, giving students the opportunity to network with employers directly in small-group settings.
Students who attended the Expo were impressed by the strength of the Starr Center’s virtual programming. One student pointed out that, despite a few inevitable hiccups that are part-and-parcel of the virtual environment, “The event was expertly executed…Baruch’s getting pretty good at this.”
A Strong Start to the New Semester
The Diversity Career Expo capped a busy February for the Starr Career Center, which kicked off the month by hosting the Spring 2021 Virtual Job & Internship Fair. Nearly 50 employers attended, including Citi, BNP Paribas, EY, Deloitte, The Peace Corps, and the MTA New York City Transit. A full list of employers can be found here.
700+ students attended the event, with more than 400 opting to engage in one-on-one chats with potential employers.
One student, who shared their thoughts in a post-event survey, wrote: “I would recommend the career fair as a good way to network and put yourself out there to companies. It’s also a great way to ease some nervousness because you get a feel for a professional environment, how to prepare for one, and what employers will expect of you.”
The Starr Center leveraged its experience hosting a similar virtual event last Fall, doubling down on the resources and supplementary materials made available to help both students and employers prepare to network in a virtual environment.
One of these resources is an FAQ with tips and checklists for participants that specifically addresses the unique nature of a virtual event.
The Starr Career Development Center will continue to offer a full slate of programming throughout the remainder of the Spring Semester to prepare students to engage with potential employers. Students are encouraged to participate in the upcoming Career Week Series Panels to learn more about various industries, employers and roles. Graduating seniors are also invited to attend Project Starr: Get Hired Workshops Series to help them in securing an entrée level career position.
A full list of upcoming events, including information about upcoming On-Campus Recruiting programs, can be found on the Starr Career Development Center website, the Starr Weekly Newsletter and through Starr Search.
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