On November 16, 2022, Shaw University hosted a career fair in the Willie E Gary Student Union, with a plethora of organizations visiting. Some of the organizations that attended were Duke Health, U.S. Secret Service, Advanced Energy, and many more. Shaw students were given the opportunity to speak with organization officials and leaders about their career of choice. Students dressed in professional attire with resumes in their hands, while being ready to take on a new opportunity.
As students were engaged and excited about many of the organizations that came to the Shaw University campus, students had much to say. Zhianna Davis, a first-semester freshman, said, “I think it’s important for students to be here because they can find good internships whether they were looking for one or not, and it’s just a great opportunity.” The Student Government Association President Mariah Williams shared, “This is helpful for students who are lost or need guidance on what to do after graduation; so they can have an idea of internships and job opportunities and possibly get a job opportunity, or have a job lined up for when they graduate.”
Faculty members were also excited to see the many organizations that appeared on campus. Dr. Tobias Morgan, Dean of Students, shared his thoughts on the career fair. “So, I think the career fair here at Shaw University is important specifically during this time as we are phasing out of COVID-19 into this post-Covid world. It’s important to ensure that our students here at Shaw successfully are able to acquire internships – whether paid or unpaid – and to provide that out-of-class experience to them so that upon degree completion, they’ll be able to successfully obtain employment after completing their degree here at Shaw.”
One participating recruiting company, TMT Youth Community Foundation, gave their perspectives on the career fair. Elon Mesanet said, “I am here today to spread awareness on Video Production and to recruit some students so that we can get some people trained and ready for the industry level of Video Production.” Paul Hunter said, “It’s good to spread knowledge of our organization and for the other organizations that are at the career fair – to just tell students that we’re here; we’re trying to help you further your career and build a foundation for your path.”
This is the first in-person career fair hosted by Shaw University in five years. The Director of Experiential Learning & Career Development at Shaw University, Morgan Ray, elaborates on the career fair being important to her, stating: “The career fair is important to me because our students need to be exposed to the different opportunities that are available out there for them. They need to have access to internship opportunities, job placement, and just ways to improve personally. We need to be able to connect our students to these opportunities.”
On that note, Shaw University continues to provide abundant resources that benefit the student population. Many students feel more confident going into the real world based on the connections they have made during the 2022-2023 fall semester career fair.
Author: Dave Walters Jr.
