On October 6, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC), Department of Communication Arts and SuccessWorks hosted their annual Communications Career and Resource Fair. The event featured organizations, agencies and firms from various industries. It gave students valuable opportunities to network with professionals and explore different career paths.
Employers who were not currently hiring were still willing to help students connect with other companies or serve as mentors. Because of the fair’s more modest scale, students were able to spend more time talking to employers and boosting their professional confidence.
“I believe that having a smaller career fair is very important since employers want to speak to SJMC and [Communication] Arts students as communicators,” Winchel said. “It’s worthwhile for us to do so since the employers get to see our communication style and can talk to us for a longer period of time.”
With 31 different employers and 11 alumni in attendance, 188 students had the opportunity to learn about careers, internships and organizations within the communications field.
“As a journalist, networking is the most important part of finding jobs and getting familiar with people,” said Isabella Barajas, a senior studying Journalism and Spanish. “Being able to talk to people and learn about what they do and getting your name out there is important.”
For many employers across the communication industry, career fairs like this one are a crucial way to connect with new talent and keep their businesses moving forward.
“Students are the future of our industry,” said Lisa Vucsko, News Director at WBAY-TV “So, if we want to keep our industry moving forward, it’s the students that we’re looking for to bring in, train, and continue to move forward.” The SJMC has hosted a communications-focused career fair for over a decade as a way to connect students to the industry and show them the wide array of jobs that are available to them.
“What this does for students is it shows them that there are opportunities in this field. There’s room for creative, committed, curious people,’’ said Adam Schrager, SJMC teaching faculty. “There is a reason these people are coming to you, not asking you to come to them.’’
In a room full of creative, committed curious people, the Communications Career and Resource Fair provided a way for students to connect with employers and to build their professional confidence, improve their personal brand and take the next step toward their future careers.