BY COLE MCNANNA // MARCH 25, 2015 //

Approximately 300 students filled the Curry College gymnasium yesterday. But it wasn’t for a basketball game or a concert. Instead, they were searching for an opportunity.

The annual Career and Internship Fair made its return to campus, with 70 different companies and organizations in attendance to recruit students for undergraduate internships and part- and full-time jobs. The companies were so eager to meet Curry students that they paid a fee to attend, according to Kristin Menconi, program coordinator at the college’s Center for Career Development. This was the first year Curry has charged recruiters a participation fee.

The 70 companies ranged from the Massachusetts State Police force and New York Life, to Hampton Inn and NESN. In addition, representatives from the Curry Athletics Department, Curry’s Early Childhood Center, and the college’s Office of Institutional Advancement were in attendance in search of work-study students and interns. The entire list of companies can be found on Curry College’s Pinterest page.

Jenny Farrell, who oversees training and development of new hires at Wicked Local Media Solutions, in addition to working in sales at the company, said her company wanted to be at the fair to meet prospective interns and hires.

PHOTO BY CONNOR GLEASON, COURTESY OF CURRY COLLEGE

“We’re really just trying to get our name out there and get as many people interested in us as possible,” said Farrell. “This event really helps me begin to get a grasp on who I would want to try and hire to work with me.”

Craig Averett, recruiting manager for the moving company Gentle Giant, said his company was also trying to promote itself and identify prospective hires.

“We’re looking for athletic college kids, so this is really our target market,” he said. “And even if someone isn’t necessarily interested in coming aboard with us, it’s still a good exercise to just talk with someone and have a conversation and get more used to interview style questions.”

Senior management major Christina Wallis said only some of the companies in attendance were relevant to her interests, but she still got a lot out of the event.

“I was able to narrow it down to companies that were kind of applicable to me, and I looked up which companies had openings and I talked to all of them and got a good idea of what I’ll be able to do after this year ends,” she said.

Sophomore communication major Brandon Metevier said the networking opportunities were great, noting conversations he had with representatives from Hingham Community Access & Media and NESN.

“I wanted to get my name out there and, if I end up getting in contact with any of the companies I talked to, they have a face to a name and they have a basic understanding of who I am and what we talked about,” he said. “I feel like it was really beneficial overall.”