As fall graduation approaches and the spring semester around the corner, students took action at the 40th Annual Career Fair. The career fair was held Friday in the Men’s Gymnasium.There were 55 companies that attended the annual event. Last year, there were 52 companies represented and 324 students attended.
Although the number of companies rose slightly, there were only 283 students who attended this year’s Career Fair. At each booth there were students standing in line waiting to submit a resume or get information from the company representatives.
A few of the companies and graduate schools that attended were IBM, Chase Bank, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, State Farm Insurance, Southern University Law Center, and Louisiana State University Law Center.
Donna Johnson, a junior from New Orleans, said that she was at the fair looking for a summer internship, hopefully with the IBM Company.
“The purpose of the Career Fair is to allow students to network and research the companies they’re interested in,” said Adrienne Willis, director of the Student Career Center. She added that it gives the students a chance to have the first pick of employers.
Students like Bryan Mitchell, a graduating senior from Sherwood, Ark., who scored an interview with MGM Mirage and Enterprise.
“I like Enterprise because of the flexibility and the opportunity to move around within the company,” he said.
The Student Career Center takes a lot of time in planning the Career Fair for the students. Willis said that they send mail out to the companies that students are interested in having at the Career Fair, and they also send mail out the alumni who work for some of the major companies, as well.
The Student Career Center invites all companies to participate in the Career Fair. The Center mailout is more than 1,000 companies contacted.
Willis said the Center really does not make the decision on what companies will participates.
One of GSU’s own alumni, representing Century Tel, was Colandra Dupree.
“It’s always pleasure to come back and see the changes GSU has made,” Dupree said.