Campbell, Bimbo Bakeries, and American Airlines look for new hires at the National Black MBA Association job fair in Philadelphia

“Welcome to the land of opportunity.”

Speaking to a crowd of eager job seekers, Paula Fontana, interim president of the National Black MBA Association, opened the organization’s career expo, part of the organization’s annual conference, which runs through Sept. 16 at the Convention Center.

More than 300 companies and organizations were gathered in Halls E and D to meet potential hires, including pharmaceutical giants Lilly and Novo Nordisk, Bank of America, American Airlines, Bimbo Bakeries USA, and Campbell Soup Co. The event is held annually at a city throughout the country, and is expected to bring 10,000 people to Philadelphia this week.

“When you look at the numbers, there aren’t enough people who look like us in the C-suite level at Fortune 500 companies, Fortune 100 companies,” said Shawn Graham, chief financial officer and interim CEO for the association.

The organization, which operates as a nonprofit, has been in existence since its first conference in 1970 when students of the University of Chicago brought people together to address issues facing Black MBA students. Since then, it has been on a mission to create opportunities for Black people who have been underrepresented as students, entrepreneurs, and professionals.

“Our mission is to lead in the creation of educational wealth-building and growth opportunities for those historically underrepresented throughout their careers,” said Graham.

At the conference in Philadelphia, people can attend workshops, networking sessions, and participate in a pitch competition where people can win cash prizes for their business ideas.

Black students represented on average less than 10% of those enrolled in an MBA program in 2020, according to the Wall Street Journal. And in June, the Supreme Court overturned a policy to end race-based admissions in colleges.

“The reversal of affirmative action at the collegiate level is going to have a trickle-down effect on the corporate level,” said Graham.

On Thursday, people looking to network and interview for potential jobs huddled around the entrance of the job expo before it officially opened at 9 a.m. Many were wearing business jackets and had resumes in hand. Some people looking for jobs had come from Arizona, North Carolina, and New York.

Tre Coles, associate director of student diversity recruitment at the University of Pittsburgh Katz Graduate School of Business, accompanied 10 MBA students to look for opportunities. Last year, students from the program traveled to the convention, which was held in Atlanta, and he says it’s been a helpful way of getting students positions. He was also happy to be in Philadelphia, and hoped he might be able to catch the Eagles game that evening.

Amari Vann traveled to the conference from Houston. At about 10 a.m., she was standing in line at the American Airlines booth, waiting for a chance to find out about potential opportunities. Vann, who is graduating in the spring from Texas Southern University, says she decided to attend the convention because she had heard great things about the opportunities it could provide.

“It’s worth it. I think it was a great investment for my career,” she said.

American was looking to hire for their MBA leadership pipeline program in commercial or financial strategy, said Grace Hwang, manager of campus recruiting for the company. The positions are mostly based out of the Dallas-Fort Worth area, where the company is headquartered.

Hwang says American is always thinking about what makes a position attractive to a potential hire.

“Every year we’re reevaluating how to be the most competitive in the market, beyond just like compensation and benefits,” she said. “We are really looking into how to enhance the experience for our interns and full-time employees.”

Across the room, Campbell Soup Co. representatives were conducting short interviews at high-top tables. Some people had preregistered for interviews but others showed up looking to see if the company had interesting jobs for them.

Campbell, which is operating two days remote and three days in-office at their corporate headquarters in Camden, was looking to hire for positions including supply chain, marketing, and finance. Being flexible about in-person work has been important for the company, and the hybrid schedule has worked well, said Maria Gamble, director of talent experience and early career.

“We’re finding that that combination of having that opportunity to collaborate in person and have the flexibility to work from home has been a really great combination for us,” she said.

Graham says a new generation in the workforce doesn’t want to be in the office every day, and employers are adjusting accordingly.

“They’re offering more in terms of a hybrid experience, or 100% remote experience, or offering additional perks. If you are able to maintain a young person for more than two years, then that speaks volumes,” she said.

Employees are no longer working at the same company for decades, and then retiring like they used to, she says.

“Those days are pretty much gone,” Graham acknowledged.

Young people are also looking for more purpose-driven jobs, she says.

For now, the association is at work, ensuring people have access to their next career opportunity.

“We have an obligation to continue to provide those opportunities and to provide access to these students where they may not have had access historically,” said Graham.