Students looking for anything from summer internships to permanent employment have the opportunity to find their dream job today at the career expo, organizers said.University Career Services organized TCU’s annual Career Expo for students to get involved and learn about jobs available to them, said Laura Chaney, assistant to the recruitment coordinator.
“We’re really trying to get freshmen and sophomores involved this year,” Chaney said. “By sophomore year, students need to get focused on what they want to do.”
Jenny Cureton, assistant director for career development also stressed that freshmen and sophomores should feel welcome at the event.
“Seniors should continue to view the event as a prime time to meet the important people at organizations of interest to them for work after graduation,” Cureton said. “However, we want freshmen, sophomores, juniors and graduate students to feel equally welcome to come talk openly with recruiters and representatives about all kinds of options available to them.”
Cureton said these options include many internship opportunities; 41 companies represented at the expo have internships available.
The expo, which will be held in the recreational gym at the University Recreation Center from 4 to 7 p.m., will feature 86 companies, including American Airlines, Inc., Cingular Wireless, Lockheed Martin Corp., RadioShack and Fort Worth Weekly.
At the expo last fall, 41 companies were represented Chaney said. She said the size doubled this year because of better advertising to prospective employers.
“We’re getting the word out better,” Chaney said. “There are a lot of opportunities for students.”
Financial companies, police departments, school districts, radio stations and nonprofit organizations will be at the expo, Chaney said.
The location of the expo has also moved; traditionally Career Services has held career fairs upstairs in the Brown-Lupton Student Center. Last spring there were 83 employers at career night. Chaney said having employers in different rooms made it more confusing for students.
“Employers want to be in the same location,” Chaney said. “This way, students will have one entrance and everyone can be in one central location.”
Organizers said they expect about 400 students at the expo, which Chaney said will be a “one-stop shop” for students who want to talk with employers.
Cureton said the format of the expo will encourage both students and employers to attend and comfortably engage in discussions about the opportunities available to students both now and in the future.
Career Services does not have exact percentages of students who get jobs at career fairs and expos because, Cureton said, employers do not report their hiring progress after career events.
However,” she said, “we do know from years of experience that the face-to-face interaction at events like the career expo and on-campus interviewing can put students that take advantage of those services at a much greater advantage.”
Andrew Haverly, a 2005 TCU graduate, said he plans to attend the expo for the opportunity to have face time with prospective employers.
“I’m going so I can get my face out there and let companies know who I am,” Haverly said.
Preparatory workshops for students who plan to attend the expo have been held this week by Career Services. Cureton, who presents some of the workshops, said they exist to let people know what to expect at the expo.
“It’s a little different from a career fair,” Cureton said. “Students are expected to dress business casual at the expo as opposed to dressing up in a suit for a career fair night.”
Students also have the opportunity to practice 30-second personal introductions, learn how to research employers and know who they want to target as potential employers during the workshop, Cureton said.
A final workshop will be held today at 10 a.m. in Student Center room 202.