Sarah Mountain
Staff Writer
Troy University’s annual career week is kicking off with three events to get students prepared for professional job opportunities.
Career Closet, a used clothing bank that is open to all students, will be held Oct. 2. Students can walk away with up to three free pieces of professional wear. All items are donated by professors, faculty or members of the community and are cleaned and chosen based on quality.
The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Wednesday in Bibb Graves room 329.
Next up is the JCPenney Suit Up event on Oct. 6 at the Montgomery JCPenney store.
“What’s really cool is JCPenney actually shuts the store down just for Troy students,” said Lauren Cole, career services coordinator.
“We’ve got to know students are coming though, so students need to register in Handshake which is on our website.”
Students who attend the event will receive a substantial discount on professional wear and can also request transportation to the event via bus, according to Cole.
Finally, students can show off their new professional wear, along with their talents, at the career fair on Oct. 9, where close to 80 employers will come out to meet students. The event will be held in the Trojan Arena from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
A list of employers will be on Handshake, but this event does not require registering on the site.
“I recommend they do (check the list) so they can estimate how many resumes they need to bring, and things like that,” Cole said. “We do resume reviews all the time in the Career Center. They can just walk in or schedule an appointment in Handshake.”
The dress for the event is business casual at the minimum, according to Cole. She encourages students to keep an open mind when approaching this event because many companies have aspects that can relate to your major, even if it is not what the company mainly does.
“I like students to come even just to practice talking to employers and to network,” Cole said.
Student participation in these events is highly beneficial, according to Cole, even to students a few semesters off from graduating.
“Employers want to know who’s coming along and have their resumes already,” Cole said. “There’s not many opportunities that students can walk into a room with this many employers.”
Handshake is an app that the Career Center uses to announce any job or internship postings that employers bring the school. It is also used to book appointments with the Career Center for resume reviews or other inquiries.
“Troy University gives us so many opportunities to the professional world” said Blake Garris, a junior math education major from Vestavia Hills, Alabama. “The ability to make connections to people in our field is priceless and sets us up for a successful career right out of graduation.”
Additional information regarding the events of career week can be found in your Trojan email or online at Troy’s website.