Students were given a chance to explore various career options at the 34th Annual Career Fair held Feb. 9 in the MSC Ballroom. Before entering the job fair, students registered and received pertinent information. Booths were set up by various companies and government agencies to provide information to students about the organizations and possible career opportunities.
The Career Fair is an event that brings employers and students together in one place at the same time. This year’s participating employers included the FBI, several police departments, Caterpillar Inc., Duke Energy Corporation, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, JCPenney, Wal-Mart, and also graduate schools. Many other companies were at this year’s job fair for the first time.
“I am very happy that we are seeing a lot of new companies. I think that the increase in new companies shows that we are trying to broaden our reach throughout the United States and beyond,” said Dr. Doris Price,
associate vice president for student affairs. “We are trying to bring a variety of opportunities for our students. Student interest is multi-faceted and they want to be able to explore uncharted waters. We are trying to answer the needs of students by enhancing career opportunities for them.”
Many students were able to get information on job openings and internships.
Junior Chad Lyons said, “At this job fair, I hope to gain a summer internship in a big corporation. This was a good chance to learn about different companies and what they have available.”
“I think that this is an opportunity for our students to be exposed to a variety of entities,” said Dr. E. Johanne Thomas-Smith, provost and senior vice president for academic affairs. “We have companies from both the public and private sector, the military, and colleges and universities. The Career Fair is an opportunity to showcase the PVAMU brand, which is Prairie View Produces Productive People.