Career Expo: Event highlights jobs, adventures, robots

Hundreds of students and recent graduates were searching for that perfect job on Wednesday, Sept. 27. Some were looking for computer science jobs. Others were looking for careers in communications, store management or with the military. But no matter what job they were looking for, they were all in one place – the Career Expo […]

Hundreds of students and recent graduates were searching for that perfect job on Wednesday, Sept. 27. Some were looking for computer science jobs. Others were looking for careers in communications, store management or with the military. But no matter what job they were looking for, they were all in one place – the Career Expo that was sponsored by Quad Cities colleges and held at the Bend XPO, 922 Mississippi Parkway, East Moline.

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That event attracted about 100 representatives from area businesses, nonprofit organizations, schools and branches of the military. They were set up at a series of tables in the XPO center to tell students what they have to offer. One of the students making the rounds was Keegan Hansen, a junior majoring in computer science at St. Ambrose University in Davenport. Mr. Hansen, who was dressed in a white shirt and black tie as he visited several of the tables, said he was looking for an internship in the computer science field. He also said he was impressed with many of the businesses and organizations at the event. “I’m liking what I see so far. … This is all interesting,” he added. Another jobseeker at Wednesday’s event was Kieran Benson of Rock Island. Ms. Benson, a graduate of Luther College and Northern Illinois University, said she was looking for a job in the communications field.  While she didn’t have a specific goal  for the day or company she was looking to visit, she did have a top “value.” That is: “I want to communicate something that matters with people who care,” Ms. Benson said. Wednesday’s Career Expo brought together a wide variety of students and graduates who seemed to have vastly different levels of preparation for the work world. Some job hunters were dressed in suits, dress shirts and ties, and appeared ready for an on-the-spot job interview. Others were dressed in T-shirts and shorts. Several of the company reps at the expo said that no matter how students were dressed, they were welcoming everyone to their tables. That’s because the worker shortage is a continuing problem with many sectors in the economy, and company recruiters are looking to fill open jobs. “We’re looking for people who want to stay in the Quad Cities — people who like it here,” said Alyssa Perales-Urbaitis, campus outreach and recruiting manager for Von Maur. She added that the Von Maur department store chain is looking to hire people for store management and in buying. Not too far from the Von Maur table, Jake O’Connor, the program director for Camp Wyoming, was looking to hire 30 people to fill various counselor positions at the Christian summer camp located near Wyoming, Iowa, in Jones County. “We’ve had a couple of people interested in the positions. … So far, this has been a good event for us,” Mr. O’Connor said. In addition to summer camps and department stories, the Career Expo also featured representatives from the military branches. Marine Gunnery Sgt. Cole Parkison was at the event to look for young people who might someday become Marine Corps officers. “I’m looking for a guy who can manage his own time and still be able to lead others,” he said. The gunnery sergeant added that some of the qualities he wants to see in future officers include dedication, fitness and discipline. Other recruiters said they also are looking for those same qualities in their search for employees. For instance, Bradley Wilkinson was seeking dedicated students to take on jobs at Eaton company in Davenport. “We’ve had some people who are interested and interesting stop by,” he added. Some of the jobs Eaton is looking to fill include assemble technicians, mechanical engineers, machine shop machinists and assemblers. In addition to offering jobs, some company reps had to take extra steps to attract job hunters to their tables. One of those companies was Nestle Purina of Clinton, Iowa. The reps at the Nestle Purina table were attracting dozens of young people with the help of a robot friend they call “Spot.” That robot, which somewhat looks like a large dog, is a special camera that is used to inspect machinery at the Nestle Purina plant. The work is valuable because “Spot” can detect small problems or defects in machinery before they become a major problem, said Travis Mickelson, a Nestle Purina employee who was showing the robot off to dazzled students on Wednesday. “He can see things before we can,” Mr. Mickelson added. “Spot” is a robotic device offered by Boston Dynamics.