Southeastern students and alumni alike packed their best dresses and flooded the Pennington Student Activities Center from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to participate in the annual career fair.
SLU always hosts a career fair in the fall, giving past and current students the opportunity to directly apply for a job in a variety of careers.
Sandy Summers, technology recruiting manager for the Workforce Talent Initiative, said she has seen a steady flow of fair participants this year and is also noticing people’s proactive approaches.
“I think the most noticeable change for me was the level of preparation of the students. They looked professional with their resumes in hand. We were looking at and identifying companies to visit, and I think having this level of preparation really makes it easier to run an event of this magnitude,” Summers said.
Employers of all kinds from all over the state attended the exhibition. Everyone from the Federal Bureau of Investigation to the World Wildlife Center in Folsom had a chance to find businesses with connections. Heather Habisreiter, a recent graduate of SLU who majored in criminal justice, tried to contact every law firm she could find.
“As a Southeastern University graduate, career fairs give me the opportunity to meet and build bonds with employers to get my foot in the door of a successful career path,” said Habisreiter. He talked about his experience.
In addition to meeting employers, students and alumni also have the option of getting a professional LinkedIn photo for their profile when entering the building. The career fair is preceded by a number of small preparatory events, including resume reviews and networking 101.
Employers meet so many people at career fairs that they may forget to contact you. Therefore, the Office of Career Services encouraged students to take the initiative and follow up by showing their enthusiasm for the interview and sending thank-you cards to interested employers.
