The Mini-Dome was filled with hopeful students and job recruiters on Feb. 26 for the 2019 Spring Career and Graduate School Expo hosted by ETSU’s Career Services.
The expo was free for students of all class levels and majors. Students were asked beforehand to dress professionally and bring copies of their resumes for potential employers. Upon arrival, students were asked to sign in and then begin chatting with potential employers.
Many employers were there such as WCYB TV, the Police Department of Bristol, Aruza Marketing and Ballad Health. The employers had either full-time, part-time or internship positions available for students. There were also a number of graduate school programs present.
Recruiters spoke to interested students about their companies and the type of work they did, and many had small souvenirs for interested students.
The recruiters pitched their companies and explained the requirements for the available jobs.
SOAR, Inc. said that their ideal candidate would have experience working with children. Holston United Methodist Home for Children said their ideal candidate would have a social service background. Business Information Systems said their ideal employee would have a computer science degree or have a background in sales. The Police Department of Bristol said they were looking for people with a desire to serve their community.
While the various careers all required different types of degrees or skill levels, almost all of them require some of the same personality traits. Most employers said they were looking for someone with a strong work ethic who was eager to learn, flexible, team-oriented and responsible.
Most of the recruiters also had advice for undergraduates who were looking to get into their field of work upon graduation.
BarberMcMurry Architects said students who are interested in a career in architecture should create a portfolio of work while taking classes as an undergraduate. Holston United Methodist Home for Children said that students who want to pursue a career in social work should do volunteer work within their communities. Most recruiters said extracurricular activities related to the student’s field of interest also help set them apart from other candidates.
The graduate school recruiters present had similar advice for students. High grades, extracurricular activities and volunteer work or internships related to the field of study were the things almost all of the graduate school recruiters said they looked for in candidates.
At the end of the Career and Graduate School Expo, students were asked to take a survey on their experiences.
