Annual career expo expected to draw 128 recruiters

For some students, finding a job after graduation can be a challenging process. To make the search a bit easier, Southeast will host a semi-annual Career Expo showcasing 128 recruiters on Oct. 12 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the Student Recreation Center.

Local, regional and national employers will have the opportunity to meet students and alumni from various majors. Students will be able to have face-to-face interaction to make an impression on the hiring companies.

Several companies will be conducting on-site interviews which could immediately land a student a job or an internship. There will also be designated rooms for employers who want to have private conversations with students.

Southeast graduate JoLynn Hallmark said she benefitted from a face-to-face interview after going to the Career Expo a semester after graduating.

“I connected with one of the recruiters and he pulled me into one of the rooms to do an on-spot interview. Within a week I had another interview with him and his team up in his St. Louis office,” Hallmark said.

She said experiences like this make students more comfortable in networking and interview situations.

Southeast employer relations coordinator Dan Presson agreed that students benefit from on-site interactions with employers.

Coordinator for Employer Relations, Dan PressonUniversity photo

“We try to get as many students interested in this event as possible because everybody wants to be successful, every student wants to go out there and find a job that they connect with and that they like,” he said.

Presson said companies value Southeast students and return each year to hire more students. The Career Expo provides opportunities for students at all stages of their academic career, he said. Those who are early in their career can look for part-time job opportunities, while those midway can begin to seek internships and other job opportunities.

Upperclassmen can begin to seek post-graduation jobs in their fields, Presson said.

Although the Career Expo happens twice a year, Presson recommends that students attend both events as the participating companies vary each semester.

“We just want students to hopefully find that job while they are still on campus so they don’t have to travel for their interview, they don’t have to seek out opportunities far and wide, we have really great ones that we can bring to campus,” Presson said.

Senior microbiology and medical laboratory sciences major Brieona Catching attended her first Career Expo during the fall semester of her sophomore year at Southeast.

While Catching originally attended the events in search of internship opportunities, this year she will be attending the Career Expo searching for a job.

Students are encouraged to venture outside of their major and talk to as many companies as possible, according to Presson. Venturing outside of the major shows employers that a student has initiative and is willing to expand...

“You never know who you are going to connect with and you never know what kind of position is going to connect with you and your interest,” Presson said. “The Career Expo gives students the opportunity to essentially learn about a whole variety of other jobs that they may not have known were out there.”

Students attending the event are required to dress professionally and bring an updated copy of their resume.Presson recommends students research the companies they plan to interact with and bring business cards to the event.

After attending the Career Expo students should follow up with recruiters.

“They way you introduce yourself, the conversation you have, the thank-you notes you send, those are the type of things you can do that will put you above and beyond because the simplest things can sometimes make a difference,” Presson said.

Students who cannot attend are encouraged to upload their résumé to www.redhawkjobs.com for employers to view.

Events leading up to the event include Walk in Wednesdays, a weekly pre-career expo during which students can ask questions and have their resumes and cover letters reviewed, and Photo Shoot Friday, during which students can have professional headshot photographs taken.

For more information contact Career Services, located in Academic Hall Room 057, by calling (573) 651-2583, emailing careerservices@semo.edu, or visiting http://www.semo.edu/careers/.

Graphic by Taria Graham