Who Gets Hired and Why? Advice from Employers at the Fall 2025 Career Fair

Fall brings many things—shorter days, crisper weather, pumpkin-infused treats—and at Saint Mary’s College, it also brings recruiting season. Throughout the fall, Saint Mary’s Career Center has been hosting events designed to bring together students and employers for networking and career development opportunities. 

On September 24, Gaels gathered for a Meet the Firms event hosted in partnership with the School of Economics and Business Administration and created to connect students with industry leaders. Hundreds of attendees met with more than 30 returning alumni, building professional connections and exploring internships and full-time job opportunities. Firms like Deloitte, PwC, and Moss Adams/Baker Tilly were in attendance, offering insight into pathways in accounting, consulting, and finance. 

At the Fall 2025 Career Fair on October 1, nearly 200 students arrived with resumes in hand, ready to expand their networks and forge new career opportunities. They spoke with representatives from dozens of companies, including Woodside Hospitality Group, White Pony Express, and De La Salle High School. Many of those representatives were SMC grads themselves. 

What makes an ideal job candidate? We asked recruiters that question and more at the recent Career Fair. Here are takeaways from three companies and institutions—including what it is about SMC students that keeps them coming back to campus, year after year.

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Woodside Hospitality

Andre Hudson is a recruiter for Woodside Hospitality, a premier hospitality management company for independent hotels, restaurants, and spas in California. (One of their properties, The Lodge at Bodega Bay, was just voted the best hotel in the world for the second year running.) According to Hudson, the skills that SMC students bring to the table are the reason Woodside has returned to Saint Mary’s career fairs for over a decade. 

“We've had great success with Saint Mary’s students joining our organization,” Hudson says. “Having their students come through for the Job Fair, interacting with our organization, and matching the skill sets we are looking for sets a tone of success for us.”

He encourages students to let their individuality shine. “Bring your personality. That's a huge element of it. Skill sets can be taught, but hospitality is who you are. It's what you embody, and it can’t be taught.”

“Whatever you decide to do, it’s important you love what you do. Number one.”

— Mandy Nakaya, Volunteer Coordinator at White Pony Express

White Pony Express

White Pony Express is a nonprofit organization that marries sustainability and charity, recovering food that would otherwise go to waste and donating to those in need. Whether they know it or not, Gaels are already partnering with White Pony Express: SMC’s Food Recovery Network—one of many sustainability efforts on campus—is a collaboration between the College and the nonprofit.

Mandy Nakaya, the White Pony Express representative at the Career Fair, has had an tremendously positive experience working with Saint Mary’s students who interned with the organization.

“I’ve had two Saint Mary's interns that we absolutely love,” she says. “They were with us for two years, and the students have a really good awareness of the need. They’re always so helpful and willing to make a difference in the community.”

For those looking for a future internship or job, Nakaya emphasizes the importance of doing meaningful, fulfilling work: “Whatever you decide to do, it’s important you love what you do. Number one.”

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De La Salle High School

De La Salle High School, located in Concord, California, is part of the same educational network as Saint Mary’s College: the Lasallian Region of North America. The school has deep ties to Saint Mary’s, with many De La Salle alums becoming Gaels—and leading the work of the school as president is David Holquin ’03, who has spoken at SMC’s Student Leadership Conference. 

Will Dunford, a teacher and the school’s representative at this fall’s career fair, sees the shared history and values as an entry point for Gaels. “We're here to promote our school and be a resource for people interested in teaching, education administration, or any sort of job within a school,” he says.  

Dunford comes from a long line of educators and acknowledges that the work is not always easy. “If you're going to teach, make sure that you really love kids,” he says. “It takes a lot of work, a lot of patience, a lot of really difficult nights, and frankly, quite a few years to really get the hang of it before you get good at it. So just stick to it. If your heart is in it, you'll definitely be successful.”

Maddy Hunter ’27 is a student writer in the Office of Marketing & Communications. Write her.