Career Fair: Big Hair, Bigger Opportunities

If you’ve met Jonathan Maislin ’18, you’ll probably remember three things: his bass singing voice, his charm, and his flowing red locks.

But what you might not know about Maislin is just how many times he went to Trinity’s Career Services job fairs, and how that dedication landed him a spot working for the corporate office of Texas grocery giant H-E-B.

“Trinity’s career services office keeps you up-to-date on what’s available, from internships to full-time positions. I went to every career fair I could, even the smaller ones in the Fiesta Room, because I was determined to get a job after graduating,” Maislin says. “So, when the opportunity arose, I was able to grab it.”

At H-E-B, Maislin now has a full-time position as a corporate recruiting coordinator. In this role, he handles logistics—booking flights, hotel rooms, and managing interview availability—for corporate interviews.

That’s a far cry from what Maislin, a communication major, originally came to Trinity to do: become a radio host. But thanks to Trinity’s small-school size and big-school resources, Maislin was able to try his hand at radio, learn it “wasn’t for him,” and then pivot to a different career trajectory. And the entire time, Maislin got constant feedback and advice from Career Services, an office of Trinity’s Center for Experiential Learning & Career Success (CELCS).

“So I’m sitting here with a communication major, and my first plan didn’t work out,” Maislin says. “That’s where Trinity’s Career Services becomes beyond important for students. Since we’re a small school, the office remembers you, and you’re not starting from scratch each time you talk with them.”

Each time Maislin went to talk with Career Services, they helped him target new career possibilities in communications fields and then make the necessary, strategic adjustments to his resume to help him pull down relevant internships. And Maislin kept attending job fairs, eventually connecting with H-E-B recruiters who offered him the corporate internship that has now turned into his full-time position.

“Something as simple as a resume can make you stand out in a field where no one stands out,” Maislin says.

Speaking of standing out, Maislin has another bit of advice for students looking to attend future Career Services job fairs:

At Trinity, Maislin was passionate about choir and growing out his flowing red locks. At his new position at H-E-B, he’s gotten to keep both dreams alive. In August, even after he had graduated, Maislin joined 40-plus Trinity students, alumni, and faculty on a prestigious choral trip to Austria. And after telling his H-E-B director he was thinking about cutting his hair to look more “corporate,” Maislin actually received encouragement to keep his mane.

“I was told my hair is a networking tool,” Maislin laughs. “Seriously, as long as I’m well groomed, it makes me stand out in a crowd. When you’re going out into the real world, you’re going to be told to look and act as professional as possible, but don’t quit on what makes you unique—even if that means living through a ‘mom-bob’ haircut phase for a while.”