Video conferencing connects students to jobs, internships

KENNESAW, Ga. | Apr 30, 2020

KSU’s Career Planning and Development department will host a on May 7, featuring about 50 companies and organizations from across the country.

Recruiters will be interviewing to fill positions from engineering internship opportunities to full-time sales jobs, from computer science jobs to healthcare positions. There will also be full-time and co-op positions across all majors.

Unlike career fairs held in the Dr. Betty L. Siegel Recreation Center on the ⴫ý Campus and the Recreation and Wellness Center on the Marietta Campus, students and recruiters will participate in this virtual event via video conferencing.

“This is only our second virtual fair, but our goal is to provide as many connections as possible for students with employers from various industries,” said Sheri Blight, Career Planning and Development’s employer relations and event manager.

Among those confirmed to participate in next month’s fair are Northside Hospital, which is hiring students interested in careers in health and medicine; the U.S Dept. of Energy, which is looking for science, engineering and business majors; and Florida’s Duval County Public Schools, which will be interviewing students in the sciences and liberal arts, as well as health and medicine.

The Department of Career Planning and Development’s first virtual fair was a success and, according to Blight, many students who were already working appreciated the virtual aspect of the fair because it gave them the opportunity to meet with recruiters during their lunch breaks without having to venture onto campus.

Students may access next week’s fair via computer or mobile device, and learn about different organizations and jobs on Thursday, May 7, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m.

“It’s an excellent way to get more information about the various opportunities that employers have to offer,” said Blight. “Students can inquire about jobs and internships available in the metro area and beyond. There are internships everywhere and, today, you can work from anywhere you have access to a computer and the Internet.”

Once students register for the fair, they can sort opportunities by visa sponsorship, positions, types, degree level, majors and desired locations.

Even as planning for the virtual fair was taking shape this spring, the department’s career advisors were busy, preparing students to put their best foot forward in interviews.

“As a career advisor, I am grateful for the opportunity to connect with students virtually now that our campus is exclusively offering remote services,” said Kirstie Colin, career coach and internship advisor. “Our department has been using Microsoft Teams to facilitate online meetings as well as workshops so that students can be ‘career ready.’”

The current online workshop offerings have included: resume writing, interviewing skills, networking, LinkedIn and career exploration presentations, which have drawn large groups of student participants.

“Our Career Advising team has stepped up to the challenge of preparing our students for the new employment landscape by offering new workshops including a ‘Virtual Resume Writing’ session,” Colin said. “In our recent ‘Job Search Tips’ workshop one student said she appreciated our offering these workshops virtually because as a working student she has not been able to attend them before.”

Students can find all virtual events and workshops as well as schedule an appointment with a Career Advisor on .

Click for more information and to register.


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A leader in innovative teaching and learning, ⴫ý offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. ⴫ý State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. ⴫ý State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.