Hello, Bobcat parents and family members of freshman business students,
When I last wrote, I promised to tell you about upcoming career fairs and recruitment
events, and why they are important for your first-year business student.
Why should your student attend these events? Career events offer students a chance
to interact at a different level with potential employers, and the experience might
open some doors and/or lead to some new thinking.
One of my favorite quotes is by award-winning management consultant and author Jeanie Daniel Duck who said, "Confidence is success remembered." Doing new things, putting yourself
out there can be scary, and that fear can stop us from trying new things. I want your
student to experience career-related events now, when the stakes are low, to get over
that "scary" hump.
Through a career fair, they might make a connection that leads to a part-time job
or an internship, which may set a student on a career path. Many students learn about
opportunities and careers they had no idea existed. Perhaps simply attending the event
is an icebreaker of sorts where introducing themselves and talking to business professionals
is something new, and they realize it's not so scary after all. Either way, your student
wins.
Getting students to think ahead for how a particular major or set of courses can prepare
them for a future career can be incredibly motivating. Interning at an accounting
firm or as a social media strategist can ignite a passion or cause students to rethink
their majors. Again, either way, it's a win. The more we get our students to start
college with the end in sight, the more driven they'll be to overcome challenging
classes and preserve through tough situations.
Please encourage your student to attend one or both of these virtual career events
this month.
- Jabs Meet the Business Recruiters is Tuesday, Feb. 23, from 4 to 7 p.m. MST. This is an exclusive opportunity for your
student to connect with businesses from across the country that recruit our students.
Companies range from Anderson ZurMuehlen to Naval Undersea Warfare Center Division Keyport (NavSea) to the FDIC to local start-ups. Many of these same companies will attend the 'big' MSU Career
Fair, but that event can be a little intimidating for younger students. Our Jabs event
helps break the ice and build confidence.
- The MSU Virtual Spring Career Fair will be held Mar. 3 and 4 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. MST both days. Your student has
another opportunity to connect with employers. Some companies are recruiting for full-time
post-graduate positions, but some are also looking for interns.
Attending events like these is advantageous for all our students, from first-year
students to graduate students. Recruiters are here because they want to hire Jabs
students! The companies they represent spend time and money preparing for these events
to gain new hires and build their pipeline.
I bet you are wondering how these events work during times of COVID-19. I'll use Meet
the Business Recruiters as an example. Students meet with the recruiters through a
variety of video platforms, drop-in style. Before the event, students select and research
the companies that pique their interest. Then they plan their day-of schedule based
on when the recruiters will be online and pop into the recruiters' virtual rooms to
network with them. It's surprisingly slick and effective. In fact, we have received
positive feedback from employers indicating they are getting better interaction with
students virtually than during the traditional face-to-face event.
Of course, we don't expect your student to jump in without a life vest. Our staff
is visiting classes and hosting workshops, like the one pictured above, to help students
prepare for these events.
Your student came to MSU with the goal of attaining the knowledge and skills necessary
to launch them into a meaningful career that matches their aptitude and interests.
We offer the tools to help students reach those goals.
Career preparedness and professional development are so important to us that we have
a whole course and center dedicated to it! More on that next time.
Sincerely,
Brenda Truman
Assistant Dean of Student Services & Retention
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