Career fair invites students to shop for employers

Ora Nelson Potential employers lined the walls of the Trojan Center Ballroom at the annual Career Fair on April 3, organized by Career Services. “We stay with a pretty consistent 50 employers that attend the Career Fair each time,” said Emily Reiss, a career counselor with Career Services. “I’m about to graduate and I know what I want to do, but I don’t know what to do or who to get in touch with,” said Ciara Jones, a junior social work major from Sylacauga. Jones credits the Career Fair for finding potential employers that she would otherwise not have found on her own. “I’m just looking for possible job opportunities from the different people represented here,” said Kourtney Frie, a senior social science major from Monroeville. Many students have found employers or internship opportunities by going to Troy’s career fairs in the past. “We’ve been coming to the Career Fair at Troy for a couple of years,” said Danielle Washington, the Troy branch manager at Enterprise Holdings. “We’re looking for some great candidates to come in and be part of the company.” “This is my first year here,” said Terri Love, a human resources business partner at ProAssurance. “I’ve had several students come by and had some great interviews and conversations.” “I wanted to see what kind of talent the university had and if we could bring them into our organization,” said Brandon Henderson, a district sales manager at the Hershey Company. “Long term, (career fairs) are extremely important,” said Tim Budd, the director of human resources at Renaissance Montgomery Hotel & Spa at the Convention Center. “When someone graduates from the hospitality and tourism program, and they’re thinking of where to go, I want them to consider staying in Alabama and even coming to work for us. “When preparing for a career fair, it’s important to think ‘dress professionally’ with a minimum of business casual. Bring a couple copies of your resume because there are 50 employers in (the Career Fair).” “Students should start early — as in freshman and sophomore year,” Reiss said. “It seems silly, but you have to start thinking about connections and future employment options.”