Fort Smith Times

Resumes, elevator pitches, and handshakes filled the Reynolds Room of the Smith-Pendergraft Campus Center on Thursday, March 9 as hundreds of Lions took steps into their new careers at the spring All-Majors Career Fair.

Susan Krafft, Executive Director at the Babb Center for Career Services, said nearly 200 students attended the event, the most to attend the event since before the COVID pandemic.

To prepare students for the one-stop shop for networking and job applications, the UAFS Career Services department spent the weeks ahead of the fair reviewing student resumes, hosting Suit Up events where students could purchase low-cost business wear, and running the professional clothes closet where students could pick up business wear at no cost thanks to partnerships and donations. Their efforts to prepare students were on full display.

“We had so many of our employers mention how prepared, engaged, and interested the students were,” said Krafft. “The atmosphere was welcoming and fun!”

More than 40 local and national businesses and graduate programs met with students, setting up interviews, reviewing resumes, and offering suggestions on getting in the door of their chosen professions.

“Just because a student doesn’t need a full-time job right now, next year, when this event rolls around, there’s a good chance they will run into some familiar faces,” says Krafft. “This is a great way to broaden horizons and see what opportunities are out there that students might not be aware of.”

Students say the most significant benefit to having a career fair at UAFS is having the advantage of these businesses and programs coming to the students.

“This makes it a lot easier and more convenient when the opportunities are right in front of us,” said student volunteer Braden Nguyen, who checked students in as they entered the fair, and congratulated them as they departed. “I enjoyed seeing my fellow students walking out of the room with a confidence that they never thought they had,” he recalled. “I loved hearing students talk about what they learned from the represented careers and organizations.”

For students hoping to prepare for the next All-Majors Career Fair this October, or any of the university’s upcoming departmental fairs, Career Services is ready to help.

“We review hundreds of resumes a year and want to make sure a student is putting their best foot forward,” explained Krafft. “And we have plenty of workshops available during the rest of the semester to work on interview skills, networking, utilizing LinkedIn, and more! Students can make an appointment with our office in Navigate to explore options and prepare for the next big step.”

And for the students who were unable to attend Thursday’s career fair or who felt nervous about meeting with future employers outside of the interview room, Braden shared a few words of encouragement, “Never assume you won’t get anything, or it’s not for you. You may never know what can land in your lap unless you take a step!”

Original source can be found here.