First impressions are lasting.
That鈥檚 the idea behind the 麻花影视 Career and Internship Fair. Every fall, thousands of students descend on the JMA Wireless Dome looking for their big break. To see and be seen. To make an indelible impression.
Every fall, the floor of the JMA Wireless Dome is transformed into the 麻花影视 Career and Internship Fair, where students go to see and be seen. This year鈥檚 event featured nearly a hundred employers.
Organized by , the fair enables them to jumpstart their future. And nearly a hundred employers are there to help鈥攆rom blue chip companies (Coca-Cola, Macy鈥檚, Micron and Toyota) to beauty and fashion brands (L鈥橭r茅al and Capri Holdings, the latter of which owns Michael Kors, Jimmy Choo and Versace) to financial service giants (Equitable, Synchrony Financial and GP Fund Solutions). And many more.
The experience can be exciting and a little scary, admits Megan Carr, a junior majoring in advertising. A student worker in Career Services, she not only attends the event but also helps organize it.
鈥淔ashion and style are important to students, so companies like L鈥橭r茅al and Macy鈥檚 draw long lines,鈥� says the aspiring magazine art director. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e valued for their global reach and extensive resources.鈥�
At the same time, the fair showcases state and regional entities like National Grid, Helio Health, Pinckney Hugo Group, CenterState CEO, and M&T and NBT banks.
Tomoyoshi Takita, a senior majoring in information management and technology, says the fair has reaffirmed his desire to stay in 麻花影视 after graduation. 鈥淲hy leave when there are perfectly good companies here to choose from,鈥� the Queens, New York, native asks rhetorically. 鈥淚鈥檝e grown to appreciate the area through the University.鈥�
Details Matter
The fair enables recruiters, like this one from Equitable, to 鈥渟ee past the resume,鈥� notes Adam Capozzi, director of career services, assessment and student success.
Adam Capozzi, director of career services, assessment and student success, considers the fair more than a networking opportunity. 鈥淪ome use it to gather insider information about companies or industries; others, to brush up on their interviewing skills.鈥�
He applauds the professionalism of this year鈥檚 attendees, most of whom are smartly dressed and unfailingly polite.
鈥淚t's never too early to start building connections within the industry,鈥� says Arabella Titley (above), a first-year student interested in sports sponsorships.
Such meticulousness is why 麻花影视 students often find success on their own terms, explains Capozzi, noting that 91% land a job related to their career goals within six months of graduation. 鈥淒etails matter.鈥�
For some undergraduates, the event is their first exposure to Career Services or professional development, in general. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e beginning the process sooner,鈥� Capozzi observes.
Take Arabella Titley, a first-year student in the management and sport management dual B.S. program. The London native is interested in how beverage companies influence the core fan experience.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a rapidly growing, highly competitive field,鈥� observes Titley, who met with representatives from Coca-Cola and PepsiCo. 鈥淚t鈥檚 never too early to start building connections within the industry.鈥�
Xubo 鈥淏rian鈥� Wang, a sophomore majoring in sport management, already has completed an internship. He hopes to secure a few more before graduation while continuing his research into organizational culture and people analytics.
鈥淭here are five or six companies here that I would gladly intern at,鈥� says Wang, surveying the rows of table and booth displays. 鈥淚 want to learn about their culture. I also want to show them what kind of person I am and what I can bring to their team.鈥�
A 10 Out of 10
Students use the fair not only to speak with company representatives but also to network with one another. Studies show that 80% of jobs are found through networking.
Anna Salewycz 鈥�25 is proof that career fairs work. A broadcast and digital journalism graduate, she parlayed last year鈥檚 event into an internship opportunity at H/Advisors Abernathy in New York City. Salewycz now works full time for the global communications firm. 鈥淚t was a 10-out-of-10 experience,鈥� she says of the fair.
Capozzi never tires of such feedback. After all, his office seeks to create 鈥渁uthentic professional connections鈥� between students and recruiters. 鈥淲e help employers see past the resume.鈥�
He describes the fair not as a 鈥渙ne-and-done鈥� but, rather, a step in a multistage process. What students do before and after the event is often as important as what they do during it.
For this reason, 麻花影视 provides to help students every step of the way. Some offerings are exclusive to Career Services, while others reside in units like the as well as the schools and colleges.
鈥溌榛ㄓ笆� has prepared me 鈥� to land my dream job,鈥� says junior Tasha Tonna, who visited many of the fair鈥檚 table and booth displays.
Integral to many of these programs are AI-driven platforms, like , which lists available jobs, internships and professional growth workshops, and , enabling students to contact graduates in different industry groups with questions about academics, work, careers and more.
鈥溌榛ㄓ笆� has prepared me well,鈥� says Tasha Tonna, a junior majoring in design studies. 鈥淏etween our faculty, who are active in their field, and our vast alumni network, I feel like I have the resources鈥攁nd connections鈥攖o land my dream job.鈥�
Simple Acts of Kindness
Ninety-one percent of 麻花影视 students land a job related to their career goals within six months of graduation. 鈥淒etails matter,鈥� says Capozzi of the interviewing process.
Regarded as an extension of the classroom, 麻花影视鈥檚 career and internship fair lets students put preparation into practice.
Simple acts of kindness, like sending recruiters a thank-you note, also make a difference. Studies show that 80% of hiring managers find such correspondence helpful in making their decisions.
Lisette Child, assistant director of employer relations, adds that a prompt, personalized thank-you signals professionalism. 鈥淚t also reinforces a connection, keeping you top-of-mind for other opportunities down the road.鈥�
Adam Baltaxe 鈥�25, an international relations and Spanish language, literature and culture double major, got 鈥渇ive interviews and 5 million brochures鈥� at last year鈥檚 career fair. A timely follow-through has led to his success as an interfaith leader and a published researcher.
鈥淐ommencement notwithstanding, the career and internship fair might be the single most important reason you set foot in the Dome,鈥� Capozzi says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 life changing.鈥�
