Mississippi State University Career Center will host a Career Fair on Sept. 25 and 26 in the Humphrey Coliseum. A wide range of technical and non-technical companies will set up booths to give information about their organizations, and recruit students for full-time positions as well as internships.
This semi-annual event began in the Union Ballroom with only a few organizations. Now, it has grown to be so large, it must be held in the Humphrey Coliseum.
There will be two days for this event, with a total of 194 companies visiting MSU. Day one will have non-technical companies recruiting business, arts, science and agricultural majors. Day two will center around technical majors, like construction, engineering and architecture. Since there are so many organizations participating, the technical slots sell out quickly. To compensate, engineering firms and other technical careers will come to day one.
Leslie Neal, coordinator and manager of marketing and events, said this event is especially useful for engineering students, since there is an entire day centered on companies looking for potential engineering employees.
“Dean Keith has really been pushing the engineer students to come to come to day one because there are some firms that decide to come day one, in hopes that they will get attendance there too,” Neal said.
Since the companies are not required to come on a certain day, Neal recommends checking the Career Center website to see what day each company will be set up. Neal said job fairs help individuals develop an understanding of what the working world is like outside of college.
The purpose of this event is to not only to help students find a job after graduation, but to also provide networking opportunities.
All academic levels are encouraged to attend. Even if a student is not graduating within the next year, Neal said it is still a good idea to go out and network. Many companies offer summer internships and co-op opportunities to build students’ resumes and skill sets.
Students should come prepared to meet potential employers and should be dressed for success. Women are encouraged to wear slacks or knee-length dresses/skirts, avoid provocative clothing and wear comfortable dress shoes. A blazer or cardigan will also help in creating a professional appearance.
Men should wear slacks, a collared shirt and ties or bowties. Blazers and sports jackets are not required, but can help build a positive impression. Make sure to wear dark socks and match belts with shoes and clip loose strings.
It is recommended to bring 20 to 25 resumes to hand out to job recruiters. While the Career Center offers resume critiques during the semester, they are not providing critiques until after the career fair is over. However, the Career Center has resources on their website for building a strong document. Personalized business cards could also help you stand out to recruiters.
Heather Woodall, the senior coordinator at the Career Center, said this event continues to help students find opportunities so they can continue their success after graduation.
“I think the career fair is very successful,” Woodall said. “We do have a large number of students who come and are able to get co-op and internship positions.”
Career Fair comes to campus
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