Coastal Bend First Career Fair Provides a Valuable Recruitment Opportunity for Local Employers
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Corpus Christi was recently called Texas’ most promising city. However, for the city to realize its full potential, it must educate, train, and retain a skilled workforce to fill a variety of positions with local businesses. To answer that need, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi joined forces with the United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce and the Corpus Christi Regional Economic Development Center (CCREDC) to host the inaugural Coastal Bend First Career Fair on Sept. 20. The goal of the fair was to give local businesses priority access to Islander students and alumni to help build a stronger local workforce.
“The Career and Professional Development Center is dedicated to ensuring our students and alumni receive every opportunity to succeed professionally. From help with resumes to access to Izzy’s closet, our students entered this fair prepared to interview with prospective employers and leave with job offers,” said Leslie Mills, Director of the TAMU-CC Career and Professional Development Center (CPDC). “Our partnership with the Chamber of Commerce and the CCREDC allowed us to have representatives from so many different sectors across the business community, and it was a great opportunity not only for students and alumni but also for our community.”
Islanders flooded the University Center’s Anchor Ballroom to meet with nearly 50 employers and explore the career opportunities available right in their backyard. Sarah Jacobi Tindall, CCREDC Vice President of External Affairs, said that one challenge for local employers is marketing Corpus Christi as a great place to live, work, and play.
“TAMU-CC does a great job of attracting people who are drawn to the coastal lifestyle,” Tindall said. “We are trying to attract the same types of people, so there is a synergy that creates an opportunity for companies to find people who love the area and are a great fit for their company.”
Hope Rangel ’04, liaison for Hispanic Business and Affairs with the United Corpus Christi Chamber of Commerce, says that part of making Corpus Christi the best place to live and work is keeping great people here in the community.
“This fair is a great benefit to members of the Chamber and TAMU-CC alumni and students,” said Rangel. “For the employers, we can get them access to this incredible talent pool. For the students, we are bringing the jobs to them. Whether they are looking for internships or a new career, the Coastal Bend First Career Fair is a great way to network and make connections.”
For Islanders like Catherine (Kitty) Hernandez ’24, an early education major, finding the right job locally would mean staying in the area she loves and pursuing graduate school at the Island University.
“It was great to connect with these employers, and I was even surprised by some of the jobs I ended up being interested in,” Hernandez said.
Psychology major Marc Uribe ’22 was impressed by the number of local employers who tabled at the event.
“There are a lot of students who don’t know what opportunities there are here in Corpus Christi,” Uribe said. “Seeing these businesses here reaching out to students and showing them that there are jobs here in Corpus Christi will get people to stay in the area which, in turn, will help the city grow.”
While this Coastal Bend First Career Fair was the first ever, organizers hope to continue working with local partners to grow the event with each subsequent year. For more information about events and services provided by the CPDC, visit https://www.tamucc.edu/institutional-advancement/career-center/index.php.
