With more than 135 companies present, the spring career fair connected Rawls College students with top employers looking to recruit business majors.
Students of the Jerry S. Rawls College of Business networked with potential employers during the annual spring career fair, hosted by the Rawls Career Management Center (CMC) on Feb. 12 at the Lubbock Memorial Civic Center. The event provided 958 students the opportunity to explore internship and full-time opportunities with 136 companies.
"My team and I were very excited about the diverse group of companies that were present," said Senior Director of the Rawls CMC, Barry Broughton. "Although just five companies short of last fall's event, this is the largest spring career fair we've ever hosted."
Recruiters representing Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, nonprofit organizations and government institutions were present, ensuring an assortment of career prospects for students of all majors.
"At the career fair, I was looking to network with as many companies as possible, in hopes of finding an internship for the summer," said junior energy commerce and supply chain management major, Nolan Ragan. "It's a good way to get a feel for companies before participating in interviews, as well as, a way to get connected with potential employers."
Zach Wise, a Rawls College alumnus, attended the career fair as a representative of Cintas. Upon completing his marketing and management degrees at Rawls College in 2019, Wise joined Cintas as a management trainee, which he learned about through the Rawls CMC.
"The Rawls Career Fair is a great place to learn about the many different careers that are available after graduation," said Wise. "As a recent Rawls graduate, I loved seeing drive and passion from the students."
Some companies such as Purvis Industries, DCS Solar and Matthews Real Estate Investment Services made first-time appearances. Others, such as Collabera, have attended the event multiple times.
"Collabera has been recruiting from Rawls College for almost five years now, and we always meet the best students," said Corporate Recruiter for Collabera, Alexandra Vincent. "We have hired a ton of Red Raiders throughout the years, which is why we always come back."
To help students prepare for the event, the Rawls CMC hosted several workshops and encouraged students to schedule appointments to discuss topics such as resume formatting, navigating the career fair, and interview tips.
"Every year, the students always look sharp, have great resumes and are well-prepared for the career fair and interviews," said Vincent.
On the Thursday and Friday following the Rawls Career Fair, 30 companies stayed to conduct on-campus interviews. The week concluded with students participating in more than 400 interviews. Through the end of March, the Rawls CMC will host additional companies for on-campus interviews.
"The company representatives were very impressed with our students and we hope to see them again at the next event," said Broughton.
The fall Rawls Career Fair will be held on October 7, 2020.