Career Fair Brings Our Paper Family Together Again
On Tuesday, August 31, 2021, the College of Natural Resources held the annual Paper Industry Career Fair. Held in the Talley Student Union ballroom each fall, this event is a one-of-a-kind opportunity for Paper Science and Engineering students (plus chemical, mechanical and electrical engineering students) to be able to network with prospective employers from the paper industry. While the event may not be altogether too different from previous years, the exciting thing about this year’s career fair was that it was held in person.
Hybrid Offers More Opportunities
For those that could not attend the in-person event or preferred to limit their social interactions, there was an online platform where students could set up short meetings with the employers, just like the virtual career fair last year. This hybrid setup not only allowed students more opportunity to learn about employers, but it also allowed more employers to make a (virtual) appearance.
This year we had a total of 29 companies participate in the career fair, 15 leveraged the virtual component, 24 leveraged the in-person, and over 200 students participated, marking a record corporate attendance for our program. A huge success.
Ballroom Doors Open to Potential Employers
As for the in-person portion of the career fair, it still had the same excited and “maybe-a-little-bit-nervous” energy as years past. Students were greeted once more with their name tag and an International Paper bag for goodies outside the door, where some came early for a light, catered dinner. We had a moment to catch up with friends — finally meeting in person –, practice our elevator speeches, and compare notes on different companies. At 6:00 pm the doors opened, and we took our resumes, paper bags, and masked smiles into the room to find an open booth and shake hands (or fist bump) with a potential employer.
The career fair has something for every student that attends, no matter what their year. Inside you may find a student who is at their first networking event and caught up in the crazy first few weeks of interviews and practice as a freshman paper student without having taken any paper classes. At the next booth there may be an upperclassman catching up with a colleague from a previous job experience. You will find second year students, back from their first job experience with a story to tell to employers, and third year students maybe looking for something a little different this time. The faculty and staff are there taking it all in with pride, and they spot more than a few faces behind the booths who graduated within the past few years and are now representing their company.
The PSE Program Is Exceptional
The Paper Industry Career Fair is an experience to be a part of every year, and this year I almost forgot that we were all wearing masks. It’s just one more event that pulls the PSE family together, and it is one of the many things that makes this program exceptional.
by guest blogger Jesse Price