2023 Fall Career Fair: Innovative and Growing, Students and Employers Converge

The Southern University Career Service Center kicks off its Annual semester Career Fair on Wednesday, September 20th, at 9am sharp. The meticulous event held in the F.G Activity Center is designed to cater to all active Southern University undergraduate and graduate students who are interested or ready to navigate their career.
Each semester showcases hundreds of companies offering internships, jobs, workshops, and even giveaways to inspire future employers to strive for success.
The Career Service Center, on the Baton Rouge Campus, is known for its tenacious preparation for the Career Expo whereas the communication advertising the big event began on July 1, 2023.
Students were able to register for the event using the “Handshake App” via. electronic device which has become a prominent resource for anyone managing and looking for their future career venture.
Founded in 2013, the digital platform allows students to create profiles, upload resumes, and browse job listings from various industries. I had the pleasure of communicating with the Executive Director of Career Services, Tamara Montgomery who says, “I made the decision to implement Handshake for our students. We have over 14,000 employers registered in our system.”
As a student leader, I encourage students to show up before the doors even open to beat the hundreds of students who show up.
Over 600+ students attended the Career Fair and 118 companies registered in Handshake to participate in the 2023 Fall Career Fair.
Sophomore, Agricultural Business Major, Jikaya Hart says, “Some professors excused my classes today so I’m taking this opportunity to showcase my portfolio to potential jobs.”
Due to unforeseen WiFi issues in the F.G Clark Activity, numerous of eager students experienced a longer wait in student registration around 11am-12pm. However that didn’t stop students from connecting with others. Career Services noticed this issue and addressed it immediately.
Montgomery expressed, “The Career Services Center will always invest in new and innovative ways to connect with our students. “We have partnered with AE Touch Technologies and Kiosks Group to provide our students with the best possible technology as they enter the career fair and the career center. The Wi-Fi may be a challenge at times; however, we must always be prepared to make adjustments, be flexible, improvise and get the job done. No excuses. We will always have a Plan B in place to shift and still get the job done. Our focus remains on our student and making sure that that they have a wonderful experience.”
Human Resources Director, Lima Plant (OH) Andrew Green, says he’s been fortunate of his 24 years to work with many graduates of Southern University. DIGEST asked Mr. Green what does he look for in students who are reaching for their goals in companies such as P&G? “From a HR standpoint, those who do great internships… We want to see that you have reconnected with several companies or with a company because that means that you did well for them, and they did well for you. That’s one of the metrics that we look for from Procter and Gamble standpoint, because the people in the company are inseparable. It’s one of our principles.”
2019 Alumna, Dryer-Added Fabric Care Operations Leader at (WV) Plant, Paige Hall was thrilled to express about the $600,000 sponsorship for the game. Including scholarships, giveaways, and even success stories.
Going on three years now, Hall mentioned that “just staying on your A-Game, you never know when an opportunity presents itself.”
“Last year outside the P&G suite, an engineering student came up to me and expressed that he needed a job. He had a 3.4 GPA, was super interactive, and was even involved on campus. Now he works at our West Virginia Plant with me!”
Overall, the energy for the Career Fair was bigger than ever!
Career Services, Program Coordinator, Franchesca Simmons, expressed “Never miss an opportunity you qualify for, because you’re a Southernite!”
Ms. Montgomery even conveyed that, “Southern University Alumni were so excited to see the technology and the large turnout of students and employers. We had over 30 companies on the waiting list and the best is yet to come. We are already preparing for the Spring Career Fair that will take place on Wednesday, February 21st.”