Ron Fritz from Camp Tanuga in northern Michigan speaks with Stacey Graf, junior special education major, about a summer job. SAMANTHA RAINWATER | DAILY KENT STATER

Credit: Carl Schierhorn

A pet kennel, the Jacobs Field souvenir shop and 36 other employers had one message for Kent State students yesterday: We want you for summer work.

Business and non-profit recruiters lined the Student Center second floor as part of the Summer Job Jamboree, a new event sponsored by the Career Services Center.

“We came because Kent has a good talent pool,” said John Palomba, Canton district manager for Sherwin-Williams. “A lot of our employees are Kent State graduates in our district and Kent State buys a lot of our product, too.”

Palomba sought students to work as seasonal retail clerks and financial interns, but he also offered management trainee positions with the potential for advancement.

At a table decorated by Cleveland Indians logos, Nancy Schneider, the team’s retail and concession manager, spoke with students interested in working at Jacobs Field. She said 14 students scheduled follow-up interviews for jobs at the ballpark.

The summer job fair was created to spotlight this type of seasonal work in a setting separate from the Spring Career Expo April 4. A lower registration fee allowed more organizations to participate, said Ami Haynes Hollis, assistant director for career services.

Joe Kneier, park manager for Kaman’s Art Shoppes at Geauga Lake, has participated in several recruiting events at Kent State and said this one was the best.

“I’m very impressed with the whole summer jobs fair,” he said. “It’s better than previous years.”

Nancy Secrist, proprietor of Easdale Boarding Kennels in Akron, chose the job fair for her first-ever recruiting mission. Secrist said her business is expanding, and she is seeking students to become certified pet care aides and technicians.

She selected Kent State because the Tuscarawas campus recently announced a new degree program for veterinary technology. Secrist said other recruiters were searching for tens if not hundreds of applicants, but she aimed to find just a handful of serious candidates. Still, she enjoyed talking with the scores who visited her booth and its stuffed Yorkshire terrier.

“I have met some people who are very professional and present themselves very well,” Secrist said. “It’s amazing how many people also wanted to stop and talk about their dogs at home.”

Contact career services reporter Adam Milasincic at [email protected].