Students Mix with Employers at Spring Career and Internship Expo

Artificial intelligence (AI) and digital recruiting tools have reshaped corporate hiring, but the value of a personal job interview remains as essential as ever.

That message emerged from St. John’s University’s 2025 Spring Career and Internship Expo held in Taffner Field House on April 3. AI might get a candidate’s résumé read, but a good interview is still needed to land the job.    

“There is nothing like the face-to-face interview. It is irreplaceable,” said Ellen Burti, Assistant Vice President, University Career Services, who sponsored the career fair. “Even with virtual interviews, we find it differs from how you speak to someone when you meet them. Coming to a career fair allows you to have a unique and authentic interaction with someone—and that can be the differentiator.”

University Career Services sponsors two annual career fairs—one in the fall semester and another in the spring. It provides interview preparation for all students, including those whose résumés meet the standards set by the AI bots some companies use to streamline the application process.

Students in interview preparation are taught etiquette, effective use of language, how to answer questions directly, and more. Students can request a recorded mock interview with a University Career Services adviser that they can keep for review.

“Students can practice answering questions, then play back the tape to get a sense of how they look, sound, and what they are saying,” Ms. Burti said. “Are they speaking too quickly? Are they saying ‘like’ and ‘you know’ too often?”   

More than 60 employers—from industries as diverse as accounting, hospitality, and risk management— met with St. John’s students at the April 3 event. A week earlier, nearly 50 employers in the social services and government sectors met with St. John’s students on the fourth floor of the D’Angelo Center. The traditional one-day, all-sectors fair was divided this spring due to renovations at the field house.

Employers, too, emphasized the importance of personal interviews and said career fairs are an essential resource for students who might never have sat through a job interview before.    

“Interviews are very important,” said Elizabeth Benedict, Senior University Recruiter for the tax advisory and accounting firm Grant Thornton. “We look for people with problem-solving skills who demonstrate teamwork and collaboration, and the interview is an opportunity to show that, whether it is from class, a student organization, sports team, or anything like that.”  

Career Services prepped students on questions to expect from potential employers. Professional photos were available for those wishing to add them to a LinkedIn profile. Waiting in line for a photo, sophomore Alayna Bennett said she was looking for an internship in the hospitality sector.

“It is nice to talk to the people here,” Alayna said. “If I find a part-time job, I would be interested in that, too. Hopefully, that will be in New York City, but I am open to other major cities.”            

Traditional attendees mixed with first-time visitors to the fair. Newcomer GOAT USA, a retailer popular with teens, was represented by three executives, including Sophia Collins ’22C. Ms. Collins joined Event Manager Liam Pizza in recruiting salespeople and brand managers.

“We are looking for hard-working, social employees who show initiative and want to grow with a rapidly growing brand,” Mr. Pizza said. “If you come to work for us, you will wake every morning knowing we have a brand to build around.”   

It was much the same at the D’Angelo Center a week earlier when students came out in large numbers to learn about possibilities in fields such as homeland and cyber security and law enforcement and at mission-focused organizations such as Catholic Charities Brooklyn & Queens.

Waiting to speak with recruiters from the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services, junior James Ervolino said he has always been attracted to the career field.

“Homeland security is always changing and adapting, especially with how it uses technology,” James, a Homeland Security major, said. “Emergency management is so important, too, especially with the development of artificial intelligence. As much as we use AI to protect ourselves, terrorists can use AI to do us harm. It all makes it an interesting field.”        

Ryan Quigley, Special Agent, US Secret Service, was recruiting soon-to-be graduates for special agent positions. He was impressed by the quality of the St. John’s students looking for investigative, protection, and homeland security careers.

Mr. Quigley noted that Secret Service hiring practices enable students to apply for positions while still in college. “I am interviewing many people coming straight from class, and I have been impressed,” Mr. Quigley said. “A number of students here demonstrate skills far above where I was at that age.”