Arkansas State to Kick Off 2013 Fall Career Fair Oct. 15-16
JONESBORO, Ark. — As the fall semester is underway, students at Arkansas State University begin to turn their attention to their field of study and what the future holds following graduation. The A-State Department of Career Services stands ready to help, along with numerous companies who will be a part of the 2013 Fall Career Fair.
The 2013 Fall Career Fair set for Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 15 and 16, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. The fair is in Centennial Hall at the Carl R. Reng Student Union, 101 N. Caraway Road. Oct. 15 will highlight a broad range of industries and companies and Oct. 16 will highlight companies and organizations in education, nursing and the health professions.
“In short, Career Services brings students and employers together,” said Dr. Markel Quarles, director of Career Services. “We help prepare students for career-related opportunities and work with employers to get their opportunities to students.”
Almost 80 employers, both local and out-of-state, will be involved in the fair and represent various and diverse business opportunities.
The Arkansas Department of Human Services recruiters provide an open, friendly and informative environment for students, commented DHS recruiter Cynthia D. Choisser. “In order to engage students, we focus on branding our company as the place to work. We position our table and display behind us to allow for greater space of our marketing materials and promotional items.
“If a student stops close to our booth, but doesn’t approach us, we take the time to initiate the students in dialog. We never leave a student empty handed. We hand out promotional items that the students can take with them. Whichever way the dialog happens, we bridge the gap between students and AR DHS. We have found that most students are well prepared for engaging with the participants of a career fair. This is a total win-win situation for us as well as students.”
“As a senior in the bachelor of science program, I am beginning my search for employment opportunities after graduation,” said nursing major Randi Wright. “The Career Fair provides me with a gateway to meet with representatives of organizations, such as hospitals, from across the state. Many times, these representatives are the same people that I will initially meet with for my interviews. So thanks to the Career Fair, I will already have a connection within the organization, making the interview process slightly less stressful.
“I look forward to this event every year; however, this year especially in regards to the amount of interaction I will have with hospitals that will potentially hire me in several months.”
Arkansas State University as been a great resource for TenarisHickman,” said Ashley Marcantel of TenarisHickman’s recruitment and selection department in Houston, Texas. “We have been very pleased with the quality of ASU engineers we have hired. The career center and faculty members have always been very accommodating and gone above and beyond to meet our needs.”
Students are encouraged to prepare for the Career Fair by researching employers in advance, dressing professionally, having a resume, and developing a sales pitch that discusses their relevant skills and experiences. They should also know why they are interested in each company they talk to.
Chemistry major Charles Riley of Jonesboro commented, “My interest in the Career Fair began in 2011 during the spring semester fair. This was my first career fair at A-State. But during that career fair, I submitted my resume to recruiters at a business located in Beebe. My goal was to get an internship with a company and start to build a professional working relationship and to start putting the academics skills learned at A-State into motion. All three of those elements have been a success.”
