Prelude to the Career Fair: Organizations host Professional Development events

Director of Career Services, Tamara Foster Montgomery, has always said that the students “need to take ownership of their journey during their matriculation at Southern University and take care of business in the classroom so that they can get gainful employment once they graduate,” and it seems that the message is being heard loud and clear by the student body as students began preparing for the career fair as various organizations on campus hosted professional development events during the week of September 9. 
These events ranged from simple resume writing workshops and mock interviews to professional attire demonstrations as both Beta Kappa Chi and the National Society of Black Engineers hosted a resume writing workshop. Students came and received instruction in how to write a resume, what information to put, and how to frame any work experience in the best possible light. Students were also encouraged to bring their own resumes to have them critiqued in preparation for the career fair. 
Not to be outdone, the Association for Computikng Machinery hosted a LinkedIn workshop for students looking to build their brand on the LinkedIn social site. With thousands of employers and well over ten million active job listings, LinkedIn is a powerful resource that is often underutilized and misused. President of the Association for Computing Machinery, Gerren Smith, commented that everyone left with a better understanding of how to best leverage the platform, “The networking capabilities that LinkedIn offers as a platform to sell yourself on a professional level [makes it incredibly valuable].”
Resumes can be the difference between getting an interview and not hearing back from a company, making them crucial for students who have limited if any job experience. This is why Career Services also offers resume critiques throughout the entire year for students as well as mock interviews. 
In addition to the clothing that Career Services routinely gives out to students in need, they also partnered with JCPenney to allow students to purchase any professional attire at the store with a sixty percent discount on September 15, enabling students to purchase any dress shirts, skirts, suits, and everything else that is expected for a job interview.
As Mrs. Montgomery said, it’s up to each student to take advantage of these opportunities. College is just as much about getting ready for life as an adult as it is about getting a degree. The Vice-President of the National Society of Black Engineers, Makenzie Richard, explains how crucial it is for students to participate in these events, “Professional development events help students build their brand. By getting them to envision themselves in the work force, looking and sounding the part, it brings them closer to their professional goals.”