The 2008 Georgia Tech Career Fair took place on Monday and Tuesday at the Campus Recreation Center and marked the 29th year of the fair’s history. Approximately 1,400 employee representatives recruited for the nearly four hundred different companies at the fair. The companies in attendance represented hundreds of business products and services, both domestic and international. Recruiters, ranging from small organizations and federal agencies to Fortune 500 corporations, came to meet students, entice potential employees and provide information about the benefits of working for their companies. Employers sought to fill full time, co-op and internship positions. Open only to Georgia Tech undergraduates, graduates, PhD students and alumni, attendees could find a roster of companies recruiting for each major.
Potential employers provided students with general information about career options as well as specific information about their current openings. A booklet published by the 2008 Career Fair Officers provided students with useful information, such as what to wear, key phrases and vocabulary to use in a resume, networking tactics and what to do if your GPA is not exactly worth mentioning.
Many students attended the fair as a first step in their career exploration and job search process. Other students attended to gather information about their industry or simply to develop a list of career contacts. Ashley Hutchison, a fourth-year Management major and president of the Society of Women in Business (SWiB), had networking in mind when she attended the career fair on Monday.
“I went to the career fair to network with current and potential sponsorship candidates for the Society of Women in Business. Capital One donated money to our organization in the spring and we’re currently actively seeking sponsorship for this year,” said Hutchison.
“Despite already having secured a job post-graduation, I’m a huge advocate of the career fair because it is a one-stop shop for students to access companies that they are interested in…it’s a great start in the job search process,” Hutchison said.
Capital One consistently gives positive feedback about the results of the fair. They are so content with their new employees from Georgia Tech, they continue to return year after year.
Savannah Louie, who is a Project Manager in New Capabilities at Capital One, said, “we are continually impressed by the caliber of students that we meet at the career fair, and their level of education and preparation certainly stands out…We’re very excited about our partnership with the school and the opportunities that we can offer to Georgia Tech students.”
Louie explained that Capital One is an exceptional match for Tech graduates because, like Tech, it “offers an intellectually rigorous environment, training by world-class professionals and a collaborative environment to help reinvent a fast-paced industry.”
“Capital One is a place where students will be challenged and stretched, where they can grow and take their career to the next level and where they can receive financial and personal rewards such as excellent compensation, professional development and real work/life balance,” Louie said.
In addition to the annual Career Fair, Career Services offers various programs for professional development throughout the year, including resume critiques, internship info sessions and business etiquette seminars. They strive to help students succeed after graduation.
For more information on the companies that attended the Career Fair, or for information about other Career Services programs this semester, visit www.career.gatech.edu. The website features an up-to-date interview and job posting system, CareerBuzz, which allows students to post a resume, find job and internship openings, and schedule interviews.