A few days out of the year you may notice the many students in professional attire heading to the Mienders Conference Center. While many students head to universities as a way to get a degree, most are trying to secure a spot in the job market. Whether you are a newer student looking for an internship, or a soon to be graduate about to start in the workforce, Oklahoma Christian University’s biannual career fair is the perfect place to start looking for opportunities.
The career fair, happening on Sept. 22, is the perfect way to interact with a variety of businesses from each discipline. This year has an especially impressive list with more than 60 employers. Some of these companies include American Fidelity, the Dallas Police Department, Hobby Lobby Inc., Midfirst Bank, OG&E, and more.
When asked how to prepare for the Career Fair, Charlotte Hamil, Director of Career Services, encourages students to, “register on Handshake. This allows them to see the full list of attending employers, learn more about the companies, and see the types of positions they are recruiting for. Students should also register for the Eagle Flight Plan at flightplan.oc.edu so they can earn points for attending the Career Fair.”
Oklahoma Christian cares about their students finding a career they enjoy and can spread the light of Jesus through. Even in 2020, one of the slowest years for hiring, Oklahoma Christian bachelor’s degree awardees “had a placement rate of 90% within six months of graduation” according to Oklahoma Christian’s website.
Students may wonder how they should prepare for the career fair ahead of time. Not to worry! First, they should make sure to sign up using the link in the handshake website. This lets the employers and Oklahoma Christian know you are planning to be there.
Then, Hamil recommends students “bring 5 to 10 printed copies of your resume to share with recruiters. They do not need to be printed on special resume paper. We also encourage students to dress in business professional clothing.”
As students arrive at the event, they will drop off their bags in the designated area, and check in at the front desk before heading in. Students will also have the opportunity to take advantage of several free resources at the event itself.
“In addition to meeting employers, we will have free Brew Coffee and professional headshots,” Hamil said. “Students will also have the opportunity to connect with both the Edmond and Greater Oklahoma City Chambers of Commerce to learn about opportunities in our community and young professional groups they can become involved with.”
Students should make sure to be confident,professional, and not afraid to go up to each booth. Connections and networking are important, even if there is not an internship opportunity related to a student’s major.
Jonah Zerpa, a gaming and animation major, used this opportunity to polish his resume, saying, “written skills and attributes as well as one’s work experience are extremely important to employers, even to art majors.”
All students can look forward to the experience they will gain by coming to the career fair, whether they are learning how to create a resume, polishing their communication skills, or networking with professionals in their industry.
When asked why he attended the career fair, student Elijah Cleary stated “the businesses that come are looking to meet students and recruit young professionals for internships. Why would you not take advantage of that and put yourself out there?”
Be sure to log in to joinhandshake.com to sign up for the Career Fair and flightplan.oc.edu to register points for the event.
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