Each spring term the SOU office of career connections welcomes a variety of employers to recruit student employees, interns, and volunteers in a Career and Internship fair.
Max Brooks, the Career Preparation Coordinator, puts on the fair each year. “It is our biggest event on campus that draws potential employers to the Ashland campus to talk to students, alumni, and community members,” said Brooks.
There were almost 60 organizations signed up to table at the fair. “It’s a chance for those employers to connect with people who are interested in connecting with them in one way or another” said Brooks.
The career and internship fair is a way for students to get connected with an array of people. “The vast majority of them are local employers, but that could mean that they are a strictly local employer, or it could be a larger company that has opportunities here but also has opportunities elsewhere” said Brooks. For example, Lithia motors is headquartered here but has dealerships all over the country.
In fact, there are international opportunities being represented at the career and internship fair. “There’s also a school that is hiring folks to go teach English abroad, and the Peace Corps will be there” said Brooks.
The career and internship fair is a place for a variety of students to contact hiring employees, “It can mean full time career positions for people who might be about to graduate, it can certainly mean seasonal work for people who are looking for a summer job, part time work for people who are looking for jobs while they’re in school, and then internship and volunteer opportunities as well” said Brooks.
Lea Griess works as the Student Success Coordinator for the social sciences, and helped Brooks with organization of the career and internship fair. “I help students with academic success and major and career planning,” Griess said.
“Internships are a great way to gain experience in your career field of interest,” she said.
Before the fair, Griess recommended students put in some preparation to talk to future employers about themselves. “You can have an elevator speech prepared which will help – who are you, what are you studying and what are you interested in,” suggested Griess.
“For anyone who’s able to plan in advance, it will definitely behoove them to bring along a stack of resumes so they can hand those out,” said Brooks.
If you do not need a job or internship, there are still benefits of attending the career and internship fair. “Even for people who aren’t looking, there are some additional benefits, one of which is to practice networking, a way to practice talking about yourself, and I think it helps people get a sense of which kinds of positions are out there,” said Brooks.
“For folks who haven’t been to a fair before…remember that all these people are really really eager to talk to SOU students!” added Brooks.
The career and internship fair was on Wednesday, April 24, from 11:30-1:30 in the Stevenson Union Rogue River Room. For more information on resume building or career planning, visit sou.edu/careers or email Max Brooks at brooksm@sou.edu.
