Former UT basketball star and current Milwaukee Bucks forward Tobias Harris used his performance on the floor of Thompson-Boling Arena in 2010-11 to land a full time job.
You can do the same this afternoon.
The NBA isn’t among the 185 companies registered to attend the Career Services Fall Job Fair from 2:00-6:00 at the arena today, but according to Career Services Assistant Director Mary Mahoney, employers will be seeking the services of UT students.
“It’s a chance for (students) to see all the variety of employers that they could possibly work for,” Mahoney said. “It’s a chance for them to practice their 30-second commercial or sound bite. They don’t say that to the company, but it’s a way for them to learn, ‘how do I walk up and introduce myself, and talk about some strengths and skills I have?’.”
Mahoney encouraged students to dress professionally and bring resumes, even those that are not graduating.
“We really encourage sophomores and up to come, and that’s a part of it,…just to start getting comfortable at a large event like this and start networking,” Mahoney said. “Many of these employers will be back in the spring, and next year, and they will remember the students. So even if the student is doing more of initial contact now, companies will be looking for them later.”
Students are encouraged to attend, even if they are unsure of their desired career path, or simply wary of pursuing a job that coincides with their major.
“There are quite a few companies that will hire all majors,” Mahoney said. “They’re looking for the college student, because they know there will be a certain level of maturity and responsibility. We also tell students to look for their major, but even if they don’t see it, look at a company name and think, ‘could I work there?’.”
Casey Wood, sophomore in logistics, assisted in setting up for the job fair.
“A lot of campuses don’t have something this big,” Wood said. “And you can really see that Career Services wants people to (go) out with a job and not just a degree.”
Though the event lasts four hours, Mahoney said that in the past companies have been known to stay an extra night to conduct interviews with UT students.
“Definitely bring a resume,” Mahoney said. “They’ll have a chance to talk to the companies. Some of the companies will take the resume, they’ll definitely look at the resume. Some will take it and make notes on it, others will tell you to apply online, and that’s just their company policy.
“For the majority of students, the idea is to make that contact now for internships. Or if you’re a December graduate, or May graduate, start networking now for the jobs.”
