Fall 2025 Job Brings Career Opportunities Directly to SMC Students

Sergio Aguilar (R), of teaching organization Arc Experience, speaks with Santa Monica College (SMC) students at a job and internship fair on the SMC main quad on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. SMC students can sign up with Arc to become after-school tutors for grades K-12 in art, music, and other subjects. Aguilar says, "The beauty of being in an after school program, we are very flexible and we welcome in the new generation to teach the current generation that’s coming up." (Elizabeth Bacher | The Corsair)

Cristen Carter, a behavior intervention developer and supervisor at FACT Services, during a Santa Monica College (SMC) job and internship fair on the SMC main quad on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. FACT (Family, Adult and Child Therapies) Services provides support for individuals with developmental disabilities. Carter says of students at the job fair, "People coming to visit here are mostly interested in working with children who are on the spectrum, because we work with anywhere from elementary school or preschool all the way up to high school 12th grade." (Elizabeth Bacher | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College (SMC) Career Services holds a job and internship fair on the SMC main quad on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. Students met prospective employers and explored career paths. (Elizabeth Bacher | The Corsair)

Dillon Waskow, of digital content studio Invisible Narratives, speaks with Santa Monica College (SMC) students at a job and internship fair on the SMC main quad on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. Students met prospective employers and explored career paths. (Elizabeth Bacher | The Corsair)

Santa Monica College (SMC) Senior Career Services Advisor Lisa Moss during a job and internship fair on the SMC main quad on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. Students met prospective employers and explored career paths. (Elizabeth Bacher | The Corsair)

Nancy Robinson, director of the internship program for the Television Academy Foundation, speaks with Santa Monica College (SMC) students at a job and internship fair on the SMC main quad on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, in Santa Monica, Calif. During the event, students met prospective employers and explored career paths. (Elizabeth Bacher | The Corsair)

On Thursday, Oct. 2, the Career Services Center hosted its Fall 2025 Job and Internship Fair at the Santa Monica College (SMC) main campus, aiming to connect students with employers, as many people struggle to find work. 

The job fair offered students the opportunity to explore different careers and meet with 23 employers from across multiple industries, including ChildCare Careers, the Television Academy Foundation and Jakks Pacific. 

Most businesses sought to fill entry-level positions or paid internships. They conducted open interviews, offered sign-up opportunities, and walked students through their different missions and available positions. Some companies also offered candy, water bottles or drawstring bags as incentives.

In August, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported the national unemployment rate at 4.3%. But many students still struggled to land interviews this past year, a challenge compounded by the need to balance their job search with schoolwork.

“I’m a transfer student, so it’s been harder to find job opportunities online,” said Shelly Reid, a SMC student. “Having them right where I’m at and everybody just right in my face is pushing me to really get out of my comfort zone and handle all my business in one spot.” 

The Career Services Center (CSC) was also present to answer questions and link students to a variety of career-building resources. “At the career services center, we’re the ones who engage students. We’re helping them build their resumes and write their cover letters, and we want them to be prepared for different opportunities, whether they're in their first year, second year, or wherever they're at,” CSC Faculty Liaison Esmeralda Martinez said. 

According to Martinez, “Sometimes the challenge for students is like, how do I even apply, where do I look? This job fair is an opportunity where the employers are coming to the students, not the other way around, so it takes away the challenge in that aspect, and we hope students will take the opportunity to see these companies out here looking to hire them, even if they don’t have a lot of experience.”

For students who missed the job fair, the CSC posted a full list of all the participants online. Students can also visit their office, open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., for more employment advice and resources.