A roar of conversation is heard from a gymnasium where a slew of booths occupy the walls. Each booth is armed with smiling professionals just itching to talk to people. Students weave their way through the crowded space, some intently looking for information from those manning the booths, while others are searching for pens, T-shirts, food and any other free items. The scene described is none other than a career fair.
Career fairs at University of Illinois are not in short supply. Be it specifically a fair or another job-related event, there is something at least every week! This is due to the fact that the Career Center at Illinois’s sole purpose is to help students find information and educate them about their future careers.
Surrounding the chaos of the Career Center are mock interviews, resume critiques and workshops, all helping students with general questions they may have about the process of obtaining a job. The Career Center’s mission is ” … serve all students of The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign regarding professional and career development. Through collaborative and innovative programs, services and resources, the staff seeks to educate and empower students to actively plan their futures as contributing members of a global community.”
The Career Center’s mission reflects their commitment to students at U of I. They are dedicated to helping them improve their skills to obtain work in the future. And clearly, according to students, they’re upholding this standard!
“I went to the Career Center to have them look over my resume,” said freshman Emma Scott. “They were so helpful! I had no idea how much advice they would be able to give me and now I’m really excited to interview for my first job,” said Scott.
Other than the the daily services it offers, the Career Center shines when it comes to putting on job events. The career fairs offered at U of I vary greatly from business to multicultural-related job positions. Along with obtaining company information and job descriptions, students can enter a raffle to win a Fitbit Flex Wireless Activity and Sleep Wristband or a scholarship for a Kaplan test prep course (valued at over $1000).
The Career Center offers numerous opportunities for students to take advantage of that can help prepare them for the professional world.
Katherine Luby, a freshman, spoke about her experience at a career fair. “I feel like the career fair presented a multitude of possibilities for me. I got to meet with people from various companies; it was exciting to think that I could be working with these people someday. It inspired me to continue working hard in my major,” Luby said.
For more information on upcoming career fairs you can visit the Career Center’s website at https://www.careercenter.illinois.edu/calendar. Don’t miss the chance to gain insight on all of your career-oriented questions!
Photo sources:
https://www.facebook.com/IllinoisBCS/photos/pb.296517568133.-2207520000….