On March 13 at Pittsburg State the Plaster Center, over 145 companies and organizations came to campus to speak with students for the Spring Career Fair. Hosted by the Career and Development Office, the event gives students a place for in-person conversations with potential employers.
“I’d say the career fair is important because a lot of people don’t know what they want to do,” Cooper Williams, a freshman communication major, said. “They don’t know what is out there. Having this career fair and having the opportunity to talk to people face to face is important, because personally, I do not enjoy speaking to people over the phone. It’s easier in person conversation. I feel like this will give people an opportunity to really know what’s out there and find out what they could be interested in.”
The fair is also for students to be receptive of all the opportunities they may not have known about within a company. The conversations are a part of it.
“So far, conversations have been great,” Sofia Orman with Northwest Health out of Northwest Arkansas said. “Students have been really engaged, even those that may not have heard of us have been open and receptive to hearing about the programs we have and how it could apply to their field of study.”
For students, the fair builds knowledge and helps them branch out for the future.
“I was just interested in expanding my knowledge about the different careers that are here,” Kyson Schultz, a sophomore majoring in construction management, said. “I just want to get to know different construction companies and hopefully web out and branch out for the future.”
The fair gets students a step into the world outside of the classroom, helping them see what they possibly will do with their lives. Beyond that, it can build confidence in them for future interviews.
“I think it’s important because I was once a student and was close to graduating and did not know what I wanted to do with my life,” Orman said. “It’s important to make that connection with potential employers to give them confidence when they go to an interview, so they can interview well and they are prepared for the real world.”
With internships, the fair can keep students in the loop on dates, helping them get the internship they want.
“I’m going to walk out of here knowing what a couple of these companies are really looking for and when they are signing up for internships to come out,” Williams said. “Some of these companies like Crossland fill up really quickly. So, knowing the date I can apply to be an intern there, it will help me a lot moving forward in the future.”
As these students will be future professionals in the field, many employers are open to helping them now in training and education.
“We love students, so it’s important to us because new graduate nurses become future nurses and so if we can get them in and train them, we are willing to go all the way with them,” Orman said. “That is especially when it comes to education and training in development.”