March 10, 2014
Business career fair connects students to more employers than ever before
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John Westby-Gibson, a junior at Virginia Commonwealth University studying risk management, wishes he could tell his freshman self to attend more career fairs. To make up for lost time, he recently attended his first career fair dressed to the nines after thoroughly preparing for the event with workshops and mock interviews. Westby-Gibson ulimately left the fair feeling hopeful and confident about his future after securing an interview with Genworth.
This is just one success story that took place at the largest-ever VCU School of Business career fair in February. Eighty-four employers, the most since the fair’s inception, packed into the Snead Hall and Qimonda atriums to recruit VCU business majors for internships and part- and full-time positions. Students armed with resumes and elevator speeches made the rounds hoping to find their start after college.
Westby-Gibson had the right idea by preparing beforehand. The School of Business’ career services office advises students to focus on preparing for interviews and polishing up resumes before venturing to a career fair and engaging with a recruiter one-on-one. It boils down to matching students with the right employers to find the right opportunities for growth and experience.
These fairs are just as beneficial to businesses, said Tiara Jones, a human resource management graduate from VCU who recruited for Kroger at the fair. She called VCU students “lovely” and talked about why employers like coming to career fairs like this: to recruit the best young achievers.
Chris Burks, a recruiter for the Virginia Department of Transportation, said that VCU students are “sharp” and could fill many needs at his organization. Whether it’s a position in accounting, human resource or engineering, Burks liked the diversity of interests and abilities that VCU students offered to VDOT.
In fact, many employers turn to VCU for its students’ diverse interests. For instance, there are very few graphic designers in the School of Business, but organizers knew that was a segment participating employers wanted to recruit. So, the school reached out to graphic design students elsewhere within VCU and invited them to attend.
The School of Business holds a career fair every semester in Snead Hall. With this semester’s fair being the largest ever for the school, efforts to expand the fair’s size may be hampered by space. The fair filled both of Snead Hall’s atriums, with employers lined up and packed in throughout the building. The groundswell of interest from area businesses is good news for VCU students as employers look to the university for strong candidates.
After all, opportunities such as the career fair open up more avenues for students to reach their goals.
“Students need experience,” said Yvette Pate, a marketing and international relations major, delineating the difference between experiences in the classroom versus experiences in the working world.
Even students who don’t land an interview can gain valuable experience by mingling with potential employers and learning to sell their skills. It’s an experience every student will face once they trade in their backpack for a briefcase.
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