USC School of Dramatic Arts Hosts Barista Career Fair
by Kim Rogers and Axel Hellman
MCCARTHY QUAD– The USC School of Dramatic Arts held a career fair on campus earlier today to improve post-graduation employment rates by teaming up with local and international businesses.
Theater students turned out in the hundreds to speak to recruiters from the top companies- Starbucks, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Pete’s, and more.
Career Center director Barlon Weeks told students, “USC Graduates can depend on the Trojan Family for future connections as they move up in their careers. The fast-paced environment of a café offers the perfect opportunity to network with passing movie producers, talent agents and self-published screenwriters/waiters.
Event planners only provided coffee and muffins for four people, basing their preparations on the average attendance at theater school performances. To their surprise, hundreds of theater students showed up, eager to begin searching for non-Disney career alternatives.
Students appreciated the opportunity to put skills they learned in their classes toward viable job opportunities. Long trained for rejection, many theater majors were stunned by positive reactions when they approached possible employers.
Companies welcomed the chance to speak with eager prospective employees desperate to prove their self-worth and “people skills”. Students were excited to learn many companies display a lack of interest in the literacy of their employees.
“I haven’t taken a ‘real’ class in years, so it was good to hear that Starbucks didn’t care if I could spell good!” declared Sarah Mackenna, or as she is known on cups “Sayhra”.
The Dean of the School of Dramatic Arts, Madeline Puzo, also commented that the school was exploring creating a Barista minor, in coordination with the English Department.
