With the national unemployment rate still over eight percent, the bi-annual Career Expo is something students look forward to each semester.
The FAMU C.C. Cunningham Career Center will host the fair at the Tallahassee-Leon County Civic Center Wednesday, Sept. 26, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
“The Career Expo is a great avenue for me to practice my professionalism by having the opportunity to chat with different representatives from Fortune 500 companies,” said Shanine Reece, a senior health care management student from Miami. “I’ve enjoyed attending it over the past two years and it has always been a learning experience.”
More than 85 companies will be in attendance including Fortune 500 companies Accenture, KPMG, Macy’s, Walgreens, Walmart, Allstate, Nielsen, Auditor General State of Florida, Bay Pines VA Healthcare System, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, C.H. Robinson, Caterpillar, CSX Transportation and Ernst & Young.
“The expo gives the students and alumni the opportunity to network with potential employers on a formal and informal basis,” said Delores Dean, the director of the career center. “The expo officially kicks off our recruitment efforts for the rest of the semester.”
Ryan Richards, a third-year physical therapy student from Palm Beach, Fla., believes the things he learns in school should be applied at the expo to reinforce his future by bringing him into reality.
“The career fair is an opportunity to build connections and engage in my field of study before I enter into it,” Richards said. “I believe that this is vital in preparation for where I am planning to go.
He continued, “I often find myself getting too caught up in the aspect of school that I forget that I’m actually being prepared for a profession.”
Students should bring several copies of their resume, dress professionally in business attire and arrive early to the expo to get the best opportunities the organizations have to offer. Full-time, part-time, internship and co-op positions will be offered, and a free shuttle service will be available.
This expo is open only to FAMU students and alumni, and those within the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. For more information, call 850-599-3700.