FUSD organizes its second student internship and job fair

2–3 minutes

What the fair offers for students and how it helps them explore career interests

Staff Writer

On February 20th, FUSD hosted its student internship and job fair for all high school students in the district, offering several summer and long-term opportunities for students to get a headstart on gaining work experience and a platform to explore potential career paths. There were over 600 students in attendance, a thirty percent increase from last year. The event was held at the Downtown Event Center and included a visual directory for companies. There were also other activities such as raffles, speeches from city and district officials, and a food truck.

Washington High School Career and Technical Education department chair Lisa-Marie Burns said, “For many years, the City, Ohlone [Community College], and other community organizations have offered similar fairs that concentrate specifically on internal programs. The FUSD School Board proposed in 2023 that we, as a district, should offer our own considering the many career tech pathways we offer [since] we have many students [of] working age.”

There were a variety of companies at the fair such as Tesla, Home Depot, and Amazon, representing all sorts of career fields. However, several companies that were listed to be present, such as AC Transit, were not present during the fair. “Last year was our inaugural year. We had 27+ employers and 480+ students and families attend at the Centerville Middle School Venue. This was considered to be a success,” Burns said.

Students and employers discuss job and internship opportunities at the fair (Photo Credit: FUSD).

AHS career counselor Ms. Chow said, “I recommend students to attend the job fair if they are interested in finding a job or an internship. Students can find out what the employers are looking for and they can practice their interview skills. FUSD actually sent out invitations to employers who are hiring high school students. I think it would be a great opportunity for students to explore [what] a real job fair [looks] like.”

AHS student Qingxin Zhang (12) went to the fair both years and said, “I would absolutely recommend other students to attend this event at least once in their high school career. Even though they might not get hired, it is still a good experience to have. Students can understand employers better, and also gauge the current job market. It sets up a good expectation for what they will be going into when they graduate, and it will help them gain an [advantage] against competitors. Although it was not a comprehensive look into the job market, it gave me a basic understanding of the current situation.”

Ms. Burns said, “The surveys from our inaugural year, last year, were all positive. The true goal is to highlight the capabilities of our community and our youth and that the local talent pool is well deserving of career opportunities. In today’s world where entry level positions are still in-person [and] site-based, commuting is becoming more expensive and difficult. Hiring from your own city and your own school district provides a level of responsibility to get involved and to mentor and guide the future workforce.”