HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (AP) - Students who went with confidence and a smile to Marshall University’s Fall 2017 Career Expo the afternoon of Oct. 3 might just have left with an internship or an employment opportunity, or at least some irons in the fire.
More than 90 employers filled the Memorial Student Center’s Don Morris Room and overflowed into the main lobby as upward of 400 students filed in to gather information, meet prospective employers and make new connections.
Marshall’s Office of Career Education hosts the career fair once every semester and provides students with a list of tips for success in the career expo’s guide, going as far as hiring a photographer to furnish them with free professional portraits. In addition to being confident, students are encouraged to dress to impress and bring plenty of copies of their resumes to hand out.
“It can be tough when you graduate, but I think that’s why we have events like this - because not only do (students) get all this free stuff and get their resumes together, but they can come in here and meet possible employers,” said Denny Daugherty, a career counselor at Marshall. “I don’t know that I ever want to say that it’s easy when you graduate, but I think this can make it a lot easier.”
Students often question whether they will find a job doing what they are passionate about, and some degrees are easier to find work with than others.
Marshall graduates with degrees in business, health care and engineering may have an easier time finding a job because workers in those fields are in high demand, but that doesn’t mean students with other majors are out of luck.
Digital forensics senior Anna Lundy, 24, may not be pursuing a degree in one of those fields, but she sees plenty of opportunity for herself.
“You can actually be paid to hack into another person’s network, tell them what’s wrong with it and help them secure themselves,” she said. “I’ve been told by multiple professionals in the field that they just can’t fill positions in this area fast enough.”
Lundy didn’t necessarily expect to find an internship doing digital forensics, but she went to the career expo hoping to find something in the related field of information technology to gain valuable experience. While she was there, she found out the FBI actually offers an internship in digital forensics - and it went to the top of her list of places to apply.
“There are definitely opportunities out there,” said Jennifer Brown, program manager for internships at Marshall’s Career Services. “What I always say to students is, ’Looking for a job is a full-time job, so the amount of effort you put in will pay back.’”
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Information from: The Herald-Dispatch, https://www.herald-dispatch.com
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