The Vocatio Center hosted “Career Fair 101” on Tuesday, Feb. 11, in Coburn inside Brewer Dining Hall as a preview to the upcoming Career Fair, which is held to help students make the most of their future career.
The mission of the Vocatio Center is to fully prepare students for their future job interviews and give them real-world experience. It offers tips on how to apply for jobs and workshops to build resumes and connects students to potential employers through events such as the career fair.
“The career fair is a great opportunity to prepare students for what it is like when job opportunities arise,” said Stephanie Hawley, program coordinator for the Vocatio Center. “Through this event they are able to prepare their resumes, be informed on how to dress for an interview and how to make a great first impression.”
Matt Bowman, employer relations and recruitment manager, encouraged students to attend because of the opportunities it provides. He has seen success stories firsthand through previous career fairs. For example, a student who attended a career fair in November was able to connect with an agency to the extent that the company remembered him by name at a later event in February.
“Students can make such great connections and impressions at events like this,” said Bowman. “They can even walk away with lots of cool, free stuff!”
There will be a wide variety of employers at this event. There will be local organizations ranging from West TN Healthcare and RJ Young up to large companies such as LifeWay, Enterprise and Amazon that will be in attendance this year.
“When entering the professional world, it is important to overcome shyness, so this is a great networking opportunity for students to experience presenting themselves professionally and interacting with different professionals,” said Esperanza Gonzalez, associate director of the Vocatio Center.
In order to prepare for the Career Fair, students are encouraged to update their resume, dress professionally and be prepared to speak with employers about their hopes for a future job. The goal of the career fair is to give students a preview of what it is like when it comes time for job interviews going into the real world.
“Even if students are not currently looking for a job, all students should take advantage of this opportunity as it is an extremely valuable chance to gain insight and interview connections with different top companies,” said Gonzalez.
The career fair will be held Tuesday, Feb. 18 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Grant Center. This event is open to and encouraged for all Union students.
Photo courtesy of the Vocatio Center