On Wednesday, August 31, students gathered at the Georgia Southern Recreational Activity Center to attend the STEM Career Fair event. The event was packed with students looking for potential jobs in their desired fields, with many options to choose from.
The United States Navy was recruiting at the fair. One type of student they were interested in was the medical students. Particularly juniors and seniors who've taken the MCAT exam. One of the recruiters, David Cavaliere, explained that applicants could expect scholarships for enrolling in the program.
"We have what's called the Health Professional Scholarship program," he said. "Which will pay you to go to medical school and give four years to medical school, four years back to active duty Navy."
Synovus Bank was searching for computer engineering students at the fair. The types of students they wanted were those who knew how to code and work the cloud. The positions available were paid internships. Talent scouter Kaitlyn Keebaugh explained that while a base requirement of knowledge is needed, no prior job experience was required to qualify for the internship position.
"We have a nine-month program that will help get them into the bank," she said. "Or rotation programs to try different areas of the bank and different teams."
The ability to display teamwork skills was a focal point of what Synovus was looking for in a potential intern at the fair.
"A lot of projects, you have to be able to work in a group," Keebaugh said. "Talk the lines of business and be able to communicate."
Some contracting agencies, such as Young Contracting, were searching for construction management majors to hire. Young Contracting is a general contractor organization nested in Atlanta with a foothold in 13 states around the southeast side of the country.
"We're looking for future project managers and superintendents for the field to manage our projects," Young HR agent Sandra Letizia said. "Georgia Southern just has a great program for construction management, so we're hoping to recruit some talent."
Many students attended the event for their own reasons. Students, such as David, an electrical engineer major, diligently searched for potential internship opportunities for the near future.
"I've been looking at Norfolk Southern," he said. "They have entry-level fields for signal engineer supervisory positions. They have big pay, big benefits."
Caitlyn Cofer, Assistant Director of Experiential Learning at the Office of Professional Development, made an appearance at the event, as well. She advised students seeking employment that the best way to stand out was to show their eagerness.
"For interns, they are looking for a student who's excited and motivated and ready to learn," she said. "For full-time, they're looking for somebody that is going to commit and wants to learn more about their company and dig in and make an impact with them.”
The STEM Fair was an excellent chance for students at Georgia Southern to hopefully get their foot in the doors of the companies they wished to be a part of.
For more information on career coaching and events at Georgia Southern, visit the calendar provided by the GS Office of Career and Professional Development.
