Career Fair 2018: Bigger and better, but plenty of room to grow

The annual Fall Career Fair, hosted by Career Services, was held at the F.G. Clark Activity Center in order to allow students the opportunity to talk to recruiters from top companies and organizations.
At this year’s career fair, over 250 representatives on behalf of 70 different companies and organizations were present. As compared to last year, this career fair offered an increase in showing from companies, like Lockheed Martin, Erickson, Procter and Gamble, and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), who were present last year but increased the number of recruiters for this year. This can be mainly attributed to an increase in not only awareness, but also focus by the student body to gaining those all-important internships and co-ops.
Joe, one of the recruiters from the CIA, commented on the fact that there seemed to be an increase in the amount of people in attendance this year from last year, “The turnout was very good this year. We got a lot more foot traffic this year.”
This growth can be largely attributed to the efforts of the Career Service Center which not only hosts the Career Fair, but also promotes it. Tamara Foster Montgomery, Director of Career Services, spearheads this effort and works tirelessly to ensure that students not only know about the Career Fair but that they are also over-prepared for it.
“The goal of Career Services is to prepare our students for their futures,” Montgomery shares. This preparation could be seen all across Mumford Stadium; the students were all dressed in business professional attire with resumes in hand. The seriousness and the level of professionalism with which the students treat this event every year leaves an extremely positive impression on the company representatives.
Joe from the CIA says that this is one of the things that really makes Southern stand out from other universities, “The students are ready. They come ready with a resume and dressed for an interview. It seems like the students here are looking for a job and a career. You don’t see that at every career fair.”
Some of the students however, are concerned with the lack of companies that cater to the majors outside of the more difficult S.T.E.M disciplines, “The companies are not diverse enough. If you are not a business or S.T.E.M major, then there isn’t as much of a reason to come,” said Ryan West, the Co. Communications Chair for the National Society of Black Engineers.
Similarly, Darrel Moses Jr., a Career Services Ambassador, also agrees that there needs to be an increase in not only the amount of companies but also the quality of companies. “The career fair this year is a prominent event and provides great opportunities for students. But more of the bigger Fortune 500 companies like Apple or Google are needed as better incentives for students,” Moses suggests.
This fact is not lost on Mrs. Montgomery however. She knows and understands better than anyone that the Career Fair still has room to grow and improve. “We are always trying to improve,” Montgomery admits. The students themselves have to take on some of the responsibility too, however. Most of the top companies want students with 3.0 GPAs or higher so students have to achieve high marks in order to attract and encourage companies to invest time and money into Southern.
“We need our students 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,” said Montgomery. On that matter, Mrs. Montgomery urges every student on campus to use all of the resources available so that our ends are as good as our beginnings. “This is your future, invest in it,” Montgomery finished.