Young professionals gather to meet, network
ALPFA is the leading organization in the development and diversification of Hispanic professionals for companies in the United States. The Puerto Rico chapter has more than 300 members.
The Association of Latino Professionals for America recently held a networking event during which recruiters had the opportunity to meet and guide young college students that will soon join the work force.
The importance of networking was the leading theme at the event, where students could mingle and share ideas in a more relaxed environment with recruiters as well as get to know other college students.
“This type of event is ideal for us college students. In a traditional job fair everything is very formal and you usually have a short time with recruiters,” said Natacha Colón, president of the UPR Rio Piedras ALPFA chapter. “Here, you successfully learn more about the companies and the networking is personalized.”
Companies like KPMG, Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Texas Instrument y AXA Advisors were among the 11 companies present at the event. Invitees had the opportunity to maximize their connections and meet recruiters in a more social environment, with less formality than in a traditional job fair.
As part of the event, Raúl Palacios, president of ALPFA Puerto Rico, shared several tips for successful networking and said ALPFA would definitely create more events like these that foster job opportunities in Puerto Rico.
“Events like these are a priority for ALPFA because we believe there is an underlying need to allow companies and the talent pool to get to know each other better. At job fairs, there is not enough time for the people involved to achieve a successful connection,” said Palacios. “Here we facilitate the candidates’ evaluation and orientation process to create more job opportunities.”
