Spring Break
Career expo provides networking opportunities for students
Fair offers individual interviews for senior students
Jillian Daniels
Issue date: 2/7/08 Section: LIFE
When Abercrombie, Dillards, Michael's and Zales all have a mixer on campus, it can only mean one thing: another School of Merchandising Career Expo.
Representatives from these merchants, along with ten others, will be on campus from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday in the Gateway Center Ballroom with the hopes of educating merchandising students about their companies and recruiting future employees.
The expo will feature businesses from the areas of fashion merchandise, home furnishing and e-merchants.
"Part of my job is to get a variety of employers, not just retail," said Dee Wilson, career development coordinator for the School of Merchandising and Hospitality Management. "Then students can make more connections and have more opportunities."
Unlike a typical career fair students rotate from booth to booth for 20-minute sessions with each business, during which time the employers present information about their companies and students may ask questions.
Afterward, seniors have the opportunity for an individual interview with any prospective employers.
"It's definitely a learning experience and lets them know what's out there in the industry," Wilson said. "Students might not get a job on the spot, but the company may be interested in a student enough to set up a more in-depth interview later."
Such an opportunity is particularly helpful as all students in School of Merchandising and Hospitality Management programs are required to have 300 hours or more of approved internships prior to graduation.
"The industry has said, 'We want students with experience,'" Wilson said. "Internships give students opportunity to get that experience and see what they enjoyed or didn't like so that they can get a better understanding of what they want to do and be in a position where they don't have to go into a job at entry level after graduation."
At last year's expo, Arlington freshman Meagan Hodson caught a glimpse of just how important experience can be to this industry.
Representatives from these merchants, along with ten others, will be on campus from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Friday in the Gateway Center Ballroom with the hopes of educating merchandising students about their companies and recruiting future employees.
The expo will feature businesses from the areas of fashion merchandise, home furnishing and e-merchants.
"Part of my job is to get a variety of employers, not just retail," said Dee Wilson, career development coordinator for the School of Merchandising and Hospitality Management. "Then students can make more connections and have more opportunities."
Unlike a typical career fair students rotate from booth to booth for 20-minute sessions with each business, during which time the employers present information about their companies and students may ask questions.
Afterward, seniors have the opportunity for an individual interview with any prospective employers.
"It's definitely a learning experience and lets them know what's out there in the industry," Wilson said. "Students might not get a job on the spot, but the company may be interested in a student enough to set up a more in-depth interview later."
Such an opportunity is particularly helpful as all students in School of Merchandising and Hospitality Management programs are required to have 300 hours or more of approved internships prior to graduation.
"The industry has said, 'We want students with experience,'" Wilson said. "Internships give students opportunity to get that experience and see what they enjoyed or didn't like so that they can get a better understanding of what they want to do and be in a position where they don't have to go into a job at entry level after graduation."
At last year's expo, Arlington freshman Meagan Hodson caught a glimpse of just how important experience can be to this industry.
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