On September 15, the QUEST Corporate student organization held its 8th Annual QUEST Networking Event! True to its name, the event featured over 30 companies and 150 QUEST students eager to find jobs and internship opportunities, the largest event yet! Students were able to network one-on-one with several employers, learn about incoming opportunities, and receive free swag. Several employee representatives were QUEST alumni themselves who were excited to meet and recruit new cohorts of QUEST students. 

The event took place in the STAMP Colony Ballroom, with companies such as Meta, PwC, PepsiCo, Deloitte, and more. There were light refreshments available on the side as students talked and networked for nearly 2 hours. I was able to speak to Cohort 39 student Elijah Thompson, who recalled that before the event, he was not interested in several companies and was worried about their work environment. However, after asking employee representatives “how they honestly feel about the company and what their interns actually do,” he felt that he made strong connections and knew the companies better. 

I was also lucky enough to speak to QUEST Corporate co-lead and Cohort 37 student, Jacob Uwimana, who stated that the event is important for QUEST students as it allows them to “network intimately with corporate partners and establish relationships” as well as “practice essential professional skills and catch up with alumni and other connections.” 

The other QUEST Corporate co-lead and Cohort 36 student, Ian Rosenthal, stated that setting up a career fair in-person was more difficult than online, as it “presented a new host of challenges including organizing parking, room set-up and coordinating company wishes.” However, he considers it a success as well and is excited for more in-person fairs in the future. As for next year’s Networking Event, they both hope to expand it with more food options, more companies, and possibly offering headshots to students during the event. 

On behalf of the QUEST community, thank you to all of the companies that attended the QUEST Corporate Networking Event! And to all of our QUEST students, good luck seeking internships and full-time opportunities – we cannot wait to see where you end up!