Large companies and national corporations have sent recruiters to seek out potential employees at MSU’s annual Career Day.
In a reversal of the normal job-hunting procedure, the employers will be meeting and greeting interested students at the Humphrey Coliseum today and Wednesday from noon until 4 p.m.
“We have 97 employers coming on Tuesday and 49 for Wednesday,” said Lisa Buckner, assistant director of Career Services. She added that some professional and graduate schools would also be in attendance.
Buckner explained that Career Days were meant to promote the organizations to students and allow for interested recruiters to collect rsums.
Tennessee Valley Authority officials, as well as representatives from Georgia Pacific and Dillard’s Department Stores, are among the list of visitors attending the job fair.
David Graham, manager of education and outreach for TVA, said his company will have four representatives at tomorrow’s meet and greet.
TVA, which provides electrical power to six states including Mississippi, offers employment opportunities to college students, Graham said. He expected his company to hire six to 10 graduates this year and to interact with students looking for internships and co-ops also.
“We usually convert most of our intern positions and co-ops to full-time jobs,” Graham said.
TVA focuses around 80 percent of its recruitment efforts toward engineer majors, specifically electrical and mechanical, Graham said.
However, it also searches for science majors in biology and environmental sciences.
“MSU is a major school, one of the top three, where we recruit,” Graham added.
Luther Epting, director of Career Services, said Career Days offers students the opportunity to meet future employers face to face in a more informal setting.
“The main thing is for the students to get information about employers and become familiar with the process of job application,” Epting said.
Depending on the schedule of the employers, some could stay behind on Thursday to conduct interviews with interested applicants, Epting added.
“A lot of organizations are building their interview schedules based on who they meet at this event,” Epting said. “The only way to talk to them is to meet them on Tuesday or Wednesday.”
Buckner said some grad schools would be present at the fair, including Millsap’s College, the University of Alabama’s Law School and the University of Mississippi’s Medical Center.