Spring 2018 Career Fair Preview

College education is one step towards preparing students for a professional journey, and few events on campus achieve this as effectively the Career Fair.
It provides the opportunity for students to meet with companies from their respective fields, as well with campus recruiters, employers, former students, and mentors.
The Career Fair activities run by the Career Services, located in Harris Hall. The Director, Tamara Montgomery, oversees the planning of the event. It occurs once in the spring and fall semesters and is usually attended by approximately 70 companies, 200 guests and 600 students.
The center prepares students for the Career Fair by assisting them with resume writing, carrying out mock interviews and even donating professional suits to students who have dire financial needs.
This semester, Career Services stepped up a notch and hosted a Professional Development and Leadership Institute program. The two-day workshop was a collaboration with sponsors such as Capital One and Genesis. The platform allowed students to network and engage with faculty, alumni, and corporate sponsors. Moreover, there were panel discussions with corporate recruiters, as well as seminar sessions on dining etiquette, resume writing, attire, and banking.
Ms. Montgomery emphasizes the importance of using the career services that are present. Many students wait until their senior year to start to prepare for their professional lives. By then, students have missed countless opportunities such as internships that would have set them up to be appealing candidates in their fields. “We want to make sure that our students are prepared for the workforce and that they understand the significance of preparing early for their careers prior to graduation,” said Ms. Montgomery. “We strongly recommend that our freshmen students understand the importance of beginning with the end in mind. The freshman year is very vital to us because it sets the tone for the entire matriculation in university.”
She also stressed the seriousness of good having GPAs, as many students may have the skill set required but are overlooked by companies because of poor grades. “If students hold their end in the classroom and prepare themselves professionally, they will no doubt graduate to be successful and productive members of the society,” she reiterated.
As much as the career fair is a good source for job opportunities, it is difficult for it to cater to the 6000 students who are seeking job placements. As a result, the career services center came up with a digital program called “Handshake” that will be released later in the semester. The platform offers students an opportunity to reach out and talk to professionals and companies. It is geared towards ensuring all students have the chance of talking to prospective employers who might not be present at the career fair.
Undoubtedly, the career fair has had a huge impact on numerous students. For instance, Ambrosia Williams, a senior Marketing major, landed her first internship with ExxonMobil at the career fair. She first attended in her junior year and admits to having been a bit nervous at first. “I really wanted to secure an internship. When I got to the ExxonMobil booth, the recruiter told me they weren’t particularly looking for my major, but she reconsidered after looking at my resume. After that they called me for an interview and I landed the internship,” said Williams. The Illinois native had more confidence when she went attended in her senior year and was privileged to get a full-time job opportunity with Microsoft. “Just be yourself. Then you’ll feel more comfortable and you won’t be nervous when you’re talking to the companies,” advised Williams.
Another trailblazer is Jovanie Smith, a senior Computer Science major who got the opportunity to intern with GE Digitals last summer as a software engineer. She first attended career fair her freshman year and got an internship with Prosource Technology. This gig allowed her to find ways to make Southern campus more accessible and user friendly for the disabled. She also works at the LIGO lab on campus, seeking to make science more appealing to students. With various experiences and internships under her belt, Jovanie has one word of advice for students: proactiveness. “Career Services are a free resource on campus. It’s upon the students to make use of it. They give you the foundation, but you also need to put in the work. If you do, you will be unbreakable,” said Jovanie.