This year’s UTC Fall Career Day included 88 different exhibitors who met with students and alumni about full time and part time positions, internships and graduate school.
“This is our biggest ever fall career fair," said Jean Dake, director of the Career and Student Employment Center. "We had nearly ninety exhibitors which is usually closer to the size of our spring fair, which is the bigger of the two. We’re hoping that means that the economy is picking up and more employers are interested in hiring students.”
Dhari Purani, a senior engineering management major, was busy networking with two goals in mind.
“I’m looking for an internship for the spring semester that will hopefully lead me to a final job. I’m graduating in May, so I need to have something by then,” said Purani. “I have a mixed background of engineering, management, business, and marketing, so I’m open to a lot of different positions. I’m getting some positive vibes from a few companies. I’m hoping for the best – to have enough offers to have to turn a few down.”
Devon Edwards, a UTC alumna who graduated in 2012 with a major in criminal justice, was searching for a job in her area of expertise.
“Since I’ve graduated, I’ve had a job, but not in my field," said Ms. Edwards. "I was really looking for something more in my field, something more like a career than just a job. I went to the Employment Center and they referred me to this event and said it would be a good opportunity for me to look at a lot of employers at once."
Numerous businesses included EPB and WRCB-TV.
"We had a good, diverse group of employers as well as a few graduate schools, looking for students from engineering to liberal arts,” said Ms. Dake.
Joshua Little, a UTC alumnus who graduated in 2012 with a degree in finance, was there as an exhibitor and had some advice for UTC students.
“Get out there and network – even in your class, get out there and connect with people, because I have classmates that are hiring managers now," said Mr. Little. "Learn recruiters’ names. Come with resumes. Present yourself in a way that you would want to hire yourself. Try to find a list of exhibitors, circle the ones you really want to engage with, and come up with some good questions for them. Show them that you really have goals and you mean business.”
The next Career Day will be held on Feb. 4.