Spring career fair brings employers to campus

University of Memphis students have the opportunity to market themselves to potential employers at the Career and Internship Fair in the University Center Ballroom on March 20 by building connections with employers to get a head start on life after college.

Yolanda Dillard, the associate director of employer partnerships for Career Services, said the foundation of their branch is rooted in the career fairs because helping students find opportunities and build connections with employers is what their entire purpose is about. 

“Though it is not promised, we have had hiring managers interview, offer internships and even offer jobs to some students on the spot,†Dillard said. “We want students to have the opportunity for students to make face-to-face interactions and it lends itself in greater probability for an interview or offer; you never know what can happen. 

The Career Fair has registered more than 60 businesses that will be talking to and recruiting students. Close to 500 students are expected to attend, and the fair will provide job opprotunities for all majors.

Dillard also said all current students are welcome to attend, but upperclassmen are most encouraged to go because of required internships for respective majors and full-time job opportunities. Any student attending is required to wear professional business attire, have a copy of their professional résumé and have an open mind. 

Large-scale career fairs are hosted every fall and spring semester, but there are also smaller scale fairs that individual departments will host to give students of their respective department an opportunity to talk to representatives pertaining to their field of interest. 

Erin Cooper, a senior majoring in broadcast journalism, has helped career services in several fairs and said this opportunity should not be wasted because it will only be a matter of time before it is too late to find a job in your career.

“Nobody is going to do anything about your future except you,†Cooper said. “People will say they will support you, which is great, but you have to grasp it and do something about it. I have met many great people working the fairs, and the opportunity is right in front of us. These people are looking for students like us.â€

Cooper said she understands this is targeted to upperclassmen but encourages freshmen to go ahead and put their foot in the door now. She said the time is never too early and it’s all about networking and planting a seed as soon as possible, which is never a bad thing. 

“The time is now, and I know it is cliché, but tomorrow is too late,†Cooper said.  “These career fairs are very beneficial and it gives you insight on what you can begin to expect once you are nearing graduation. That is why we are in college anyway, right?â€