Career Center to host job fairs, dinner
By: Nick Mason, Staff Writer
The Towson University Career Center will host a variety of events during the fall semester and will introduce academic and career-planning resources available to students online.
“When you walk across the stage, what are you walking for?” Assistant Director of Employer Relations Cary Smedley said. “We want [students] to be walking toward a job and get a kick-start on their career by finding something they like.”
The center’s largest event this semester will be the Fall Career & Internship Fair, held at SECU Arena on Oct. 7.
The location can host over 200 local, regional and national employers. The fair will include a LinkedIn photo booth and a pre-fair workshop.
Last year’s fair hosted 92 employers and brought in over one thousand students.
On Aug. 30, the Career Center will host a Part-Time & On-Campus Job Fair in the Potomac Lounge of the University Union.
Attendees should dress in business casual attire and bring multiple copies of their resume. The job fair will bring local employers to Towson, which will be convenient for students who do not have vehicles or transportation, according to Smedley.
“These job fairs are to help students find employment,” Smedley said.
In November, the Career Center will host a free, multi-course etiquette dinner, sponsored by the International School of Protocol.
In the past, the dinner has brought about 150 students in attendance to learn how to interview while dining.
“Be interested before you’re interesting,” Smedley advised.
On Sept. 23, the College of Business and Economics will host its annual Accounting Open House in the West Village Commons Ballroom. Students are advised to wear business suit attire and to bring at least 15 copies of their resumes.
On the same day, the Actuarial Science and Risk Management Program will host a job and internship recruitment event in the West Village Commons, Room 307.
If students cannot make it to any of these events, the Career Center’s website and office also offer resources such as the assessment program Strengthsquest and access to a Skype room for long-distance interviews.
The Career Center also recommends general studies course “GENL 121: Personal Life and Career Planning.” The class is worth two credits.
“That encompasses all of the resources we offer students into a semester long class that meets once a week,” Smedley said. “ Every single student that takes it says it should be a requirement because they love it.”
The Career Center has three certified career counselors as well as separate career advisors. It offers express hours for resume reviews on weekdays from 1-4pm.
The center will provide help in setting up LinkedIn accounts by appointment and also has a career mentor database where alumni can mentor current students.
For more information about the Career Center’s resources and upcoming events, students can visit www.towson.edu/careercenter/.