Career Fair Puts Students on the Fast Track

This year’s Columbia Mailman Career Fair—one of the country’s largest public health recruiting events—brought more than 50 employers to campus, including leading consulting firms, government agencies, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, nonprofits, international organizations like UNICEF, and more. Upwards of 500 students attended the event at the Armory Track and Field Center, where they connected with recruiters and positioned themselves for rewarding careers in public health.

Organized by the Office of Career Services, the Career Fair is the high point of the fall recruiting season. According to figures from the class of 2022, 98 percent of recent graduates are either employed, continuing their education, or otherwise not job-seeking by the December following graduation.

At the Career Fair, Navya Anne, a first-year MPH student, was excited to learn about several potential employers she had not previously encountered, leading her to broaden her interests from hospital administration to other areas. “The Career Fair has been so helpful in giving me exposure to companies that I wouldn’t have otherwise had exposure to,” she said. “It’s giving me the opportunity to explore and see how I can make an impact.” Second-year MPH student Olamide Fagbamiye agreed, saying, “The best part of [the career fair] is the variety.”

Jack Bowling, an accelerated MPH student, said he benefited from learning about the employers at the Fair ahead of time. He used Columbia’s CareerLink system to find out more about the specific positions they were recruiting for, including those related to his dream job—a position where he can work to reduce Medicaid costs for beneficiaries. “There are few employers that work directly in that space here,” he said. “It’s been great to talk to them today.”

Among the more than 100 recruiters at the event were many Columbia Mailman alumni. Recent grad Joanne Chukwueke, MPH ’23, who now works at Analysis Group enthused about her encounters with students, some of whom she knew. “One way that I’ve been impressed with students is their ambition,” she said. “What makes Columbia students stand out to me is their readiness to get into the workforce and make a beautiful career for themselves.”