| With the fall semester in full swing, the Office of Career Services (OCS) at North Carolina A&T State University hosted an annual event that helps its students make plans for their immediate and not-so-immediate future. For the 42nd consecutive year, OCS hosted the annual Career Awareness Fair Sept. 14 in Corbett Sports Center.
“The fair provides our students a chance to network with representatives from 220 companies and agencies to gather information about opportunities for full time employment upon graduation as well as internships and co-op experiences,” said Joyce Edwards, the executive director of career services and experiential learning.
This year’s fair set a record number of employers and that says a lot about the quality of the education available to students at the university, Edwards said. A total of 224 employers, including 108 ranked as Fortune 500 companies, approximately 700 employer representatives across 66 different industries from 32 states and 3,207 students converged in Corbett Sports Center for the mutually beneficial fair.
“I believe this record number is proof that N.C. A&T is succeeding in preparing our students for the competitive, global work force,” added Edwards.
On Sept. 13, the department hosted the invitation-only annual Career Awareness Banquet at the Koury Convention Center featuring alumnus Kelvin L. Buncum ’80 as the keynote speaker.
Buncum is employed with the multi-billion-dollar company, Sam’s Club, as the vice president of operations for the Great Plains Region. Prior to this role, he served as the vice president of innovations and global business process, vice president of operations strategy and integration and regional general manager for the Mid-South, all for Sam’s Club.
Those who attended the fair were armed with preparation tips made available on OCS’ website, multiple copies of their updated resume and adorned in professional attire.
Additionally, many employers remained on campus Sept. 15-16 and conducted 148 individual interviews and further engaged with students.
“I think the career fair has gone really well. I was amazed at the turnout of students and how engaged they were when they came to visit us,” said Anne Carlin, a General Electric recruiter. “We have been recruiting from N.C. A&T for a while for our engineering programs, but this is the second year that we have been here for finance. We are trying to build a presence on campus for finance and not just finance and accounting, but we also look at all business majors. We want to tap into all the talent that you all have [at A&T]. Candidates have been really engaged, eager and qualified. We’re very happy.”
As a way to welcome back alumni who attended the career fair on behalf of their companies and agencies, the Office of Alumni Relations and the Young Alumni Council organized an Alumni Mixer event that took place at Bravo! Cucina Italiana located at Friendly Center. Alumni recruiters and executives were also recognized during a seminar with employers on Sept. 13. |
