The Center for Career Development at Biola University launched the Office of Employer Relations this spring in an effort to provide more internship and job opportunities for Biola students and alumni. The Office of Employer Relations seeks to connect with companies which offer high quality and high quantity job and internships in the Los Angeles and Orange County area.

Mark Matthes, director of career development, is leading the new effort.

“This is the first time that Biola has been equipped to initiate and maintain connections with organizations offering high quality, and often high volume, internship opportunities,” said Matthes.

A strategic plan including the Office of Employer Relations was approved in 2015 to boost the accessibility of internships and jobs for Biola students in order to help them pursue their goals in obtaining a meaningful career. In the short time the department has been in place, Matthes said the office has already reached some key plan initiatives.

“We recently formed relationships with three industry leading companies in the motion picture industry. These three companies are recruiting 180 paid interns in a wide variety of job functions to work in Hollywood this summer,” said Matthes. “Because we have relationships with these companies, they say that any application from us will receive a guaranteed review.”

In addition to strengthening existing relationships, the office will devote time and effort to expand relationships to new companies in the Southern California metro areas.

“We are building relationships with high quality employers, most of whom have had no previous history with Biola,” said Nicole Hollearn, associate director of employer relations. “Our goal is to engage conversations with 250 top organizations by June.”

According to Matthes, the office has already reached out to top industry leaders such as Capital Group, Sony Pictures, Paramount Pictures, Mazda North American Operations, Quiksilver, Oakley, Verizon, Walt Disney, Nordstrom and many others.

Matthes said employer relations will bring Biola into many Los Angeles and Orange County metro area companies where students have seldom had the opportunity to intern before as well as potentially connect faculty for exciting opportunities.

“The new office has the potential to not only engage Biola with these companies for the purpose of internships and jobs, but it can also connect faculty to these companies for academic-industry collaborations,” said Matthes. “It can also spread Biola’s name to people who could start referring students to Biola based on positive interactions with our team.”

A new online resource on Biola’s website for employers will also allow Biola to cultivate a healthier relationship with companies by providing more accessible means of communication.

“All of these things will likely boost Biola’s reputation as a school committed to integrative, high impact learning practices,” said Matthes.

Written by Drew Mattocks, Public Relations Intern. For further information, contact Jenna Loumagne, media relations specialist, at (562) 777-4061 or jenna.loumagne@biola.edu.