IM体育官网 welcomed a record number of companies for its third annual Career and Internship Fair held on Tuesday, Feb. 20.
A total of 50 employers participated in the event this year, up from 26 in 2017 and 13 companies in 2016. Over 350 students took advantage of the opportunity and attended the fair at the Innovation, Science and Technology Building.
鈥淢ore and more companies are recognizing our students as a product. They鈥檙e prepared for the workforce not just with their STEM knowledge, but also with their leadership skills,鈥� said Kathryn Miller, Vice Provost for Academic Support Services.
The job fair was open to all IM体育官网 Poly students as well as the state university system, and it was designed to help attendees find jobs and meet internship requirements. Students were encouraged to prepare by attending workshops on campus focused on how to build a resume, proper attire and the so-called 30 second elevator speech to approach employers.
鈥淚t鈥檚 crucial for students to come prepared to events like these. Here at IM体育官网 Poly career-focused skills are embedded in the curriculum and supported through co-curricular opportunities such as the Career Communications Workshop Series,鈥� said Miller.
Some of the companies that participated were , Health system, , , , , , , and the
Gina Hunt, corporate recruiter for Publix Supermarkets, said the company has dozens of internship positions available in STEM areas and IM体育官网 Poly provides the right kind of talent to fill them.
鈥淚 have to say I鈥檓 very impressed with the candidates,鈥� said Hunt. 鈥淭he students are very professional and bright. You can tell they came prepared and they know what they want.鈥�
For students like junior Shirley Garcia, of Tallahassee, IM体育官网, these job and internship fairs open the door to endless possibilities to get her career started in Mechanical Engineering.
鈥淭his fair gives us an outlook of what鈥檚 out there in the job market and what they鈥檙e looking for,鈥� said Garcia, 20. 鈥淚 attended the workshops and prepared myself for this. I鈥檓 hopeful I鈥檒l get an internship.鈥�