YCSC Holds Inaugural Tech Career Fair
Yeshiva College Student Council (YCSC) hosted its first tech career fair last month. The fair, created to help expand students’ professional networks, was aimed at students majoring in computer science, mathematics and physics, and other STEM fields.
Attended by over 150 students from both campuses, the Tech Career Fair, held on Sept. 6, was the first such event held for Yeshiva College (YC) students in recent years. Students were able to interact with industry professionals and YU alumni, apply to internships and job opportunities and survey the future job market with companies in attendance, including Amazon, Google and JPMorgan.
Similar recruiting events have been previously held for students at Sy Syms School of Business (SSSB). YCSC President Shlomo Schwartz (YC ‘25) told The Commentator that YC students expressed strong interest in similar style events for STEM majors. Although the event was not aimed at students outside of the tech sphere, Schwartz told The Commentator that they hope to host similar fairs for students in non-STEM fields.
The event, which lasted for approximately two hours, was held in the Weissberg Commons in Belfer Hall on the Wilf Campus, and was mostly attended by upperclassmen majoring in computer science. Students arrived and crowded outside the doors at around 6:30 p.m. — which is when the fair was called for — but the doors only opened some twenty minutes later. Despite the late start, the fair ran smoothly, with representatives from a total of ten companies interacting with students.
In addition to YCSC, faculty, including computer science department Chair Prof. Judah Diament, helped plan the event, with staff at the Shevet Glaubach Center for Career Strategy and Professional Development providing advice.
“We are very fortunate to have a faculty that spends considerable time and effort helping to prepare students for life after leaving YU,” Schwartz told The Commentator. “They were instrumental in helping us arrange this event.
Many of the YU alumni representing companies at the event expressed a desire to give back and help create a support system for students looking to get into competitive industries.
“I care deeply about YU students getting a fair opportunity in the technical community,” Joshua Feldman (SSSB ‘97), head of engineering for the product office at JPMorgan Chase, told The Commentator. “I wish that I had these types of connections and relationships when I was a student at YU to help me launch my career — I feel a sense of duty. It’s been my experience that YU students perform well at JPMorgan, so I’m here to find the next tranche.”
Other alumni at the event shared similar views. “I think it’s important to get more YU students at our companies,” said Julia Chase (SCW ‘21), a senior developer at Avanade, a tech consulting firm. Chase had previously been referred to a job at Avanade by another SCW graduate.
Robert Hannan, another recruiter for Avanade, also expressed his hope to involve YU students in the company, telling The Commentator about the “strong relationship” Avanade has with YU and that he’s “grateful for the opportunity to work together.”
Many students found the event helpful.
“It’s so nice that people are coming here to talk to us,” Shoshana Pomerantz (SCW ‘25), a computer science major, shared with The Commentator. “Seeing alumni with jobs is comforting because I can see where I might be in the future.”
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Photo Caption: YCSC held its first tech career fair last month.
Photo Credit: Johnathon Henninger / YCSC
