Students, employers, and alumni packed out Al Lawson Multipurpose Center for the Career and Professional Development Center’s Career and Internship Expo today from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Over 150 employers including Ford, Intel, and Goldman Sachs educated attendees about job opportunities and internships. Among the recruiters was former Student Body President David Jackson. The senior business administration student was recruiting for Northwestern Mutual, a financial planning agency.
“It’s really fulfilling,” Jackson said. “I feel like it’s always good to be able to be in a position where you can help out other people that look like you and that you’re in class with.”
Jackson continued by explaining what his time as a student advocate was like.
“My experience being student body president was great,” Jackson said. “I was able to accomplish just about everything I wanted to as SGA president and really leave an impact on the student body.”
Jackson held his position during the 2018-2019 academic year. He said he had no regrets during his reign as a student leader. He said his role in the Student Government Association actually helped him make a smooth transition into leadership in the corporate world.
“My role transferred perfectly because I had the opportunity to develop relationships with many of the students,” Jackson said. “It made it easy to pinpoint students who I believe would make a great fit for the company.”
Among Jackson was a great number of alumni of Florida A&M who were also eager to recruit fellow Rattlers. Jameel Brannon, a recent graduate of the School of Business and Industry’s masters program, expressed how it felt to recruit Rattlers to join him at Intel.
“I was here as a student not too long ago,” Brannon said. “To be able to take the skills I learned and go get employed and come back and recruit other students… that’s the cycle we are trying to build.”
Brannon intends to create a pipeline from Florida A&M students to his career field to help them gain the skills they need before entering the corporate world.
Solomon Lamar, a third year business administration student, is someone who has already benefited from this pipeline. He earned himself three interviews at the fair. He offered his reaction to gaining those opportunities.
“I am quite shocked,” Lamar said. “This is the first time I have ever gotten an opportunity from the career fair.”
He continued by explaining that he’s attended the career fair every year, for the past three years and left empty handed. But, this year he left with opportunities of a lifetime.
Follow up interviews will be held tomorrow in Gaither Gymnasium.
More career and internship opportunities can be found through the Career and Professional Development Center via HireARattler powered by handshake.