University
PHOTO: Alexandra Bayer
LEFT: Lukas Oest, class of 2019, center, was one of 26 students who participated in USFSM’s first ‘reverse’ career fair.
MAKING CONNECTIONS
USFSM campus ‘turns the tables’ on career fairs JOB FAIRS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE opportunities to shine and open doors to new careers, but that’s not always the case, especially when the rush is on for that one special job. Just ask recent USF Sarasota-Manatee graduate Vernice Gumbs-Crunk. “Most of the time, you can’t even have a conversation [with the recruiter] because there’s someone else at the table trying to talk to them, and then there’s someone behind you trying to talk to them,” she says. “How are you supposed to make an impression?”
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This event redefined how college career fairs can work. It’s about the students.” – Lukas Oest, class of 2019 The accounting grad ended up making a connection and finding the position she wanted at Sarasota-based accounting firm Miles & Thirion, but it happened through an event that offered a twist on the usual fair scenario. She attended a “reverse career fair” at USFSM. Reverse career fairs are gaining popularity as colleges look for creative ways to connect students and employers. Unlike typical career fairs where harried job seekers drop off résumés and move to the next table, reverse fairs enable students to act as interviewers to ask about open positions
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UNIVERSITY of SOUTH FLORIDA
and highlight their abilities. Employers benefit by being able to focus on candidates who meet their needs. Because of this inverted dynamic, USFSM called its fair Turn the Tables. Staff from the campus’ Career Services Office spent weeks prepping the students and polishing their resumes and “elevator speeches” to get them ready for the event. Then the office reached out to local companies that corresponded to the students’ majors. Three months later, USFSM officials say they’re excited by the results. Twenty-two of the 26 students who attended responded to a follow-up email from the office, with nine replying they had accepted internships as a result of the fair. Five others said they received full-time employment. “By any measure, those are outstanding results for a career fair,” USFSM internship coordinator Ben Heins, one of the fair’s organizers, says. Scheduled for two hours inside the campus’ Selby Auditorium, the fair featured rows of tables where students arranged resumés, business cards, candy and other enticements to draw employers’ attention. Many also set up tri-fold displays to post photos and snippets about their education and personal histories. Dressed in business attire, the students took up positions behind the tables or alongside them. Marketing major Lukas Oest, set to graduate in May, donned a blue suit and put out peanut butter cups next to a photo display. He stepped from behind the table to connect with employers. Sixty-two showed up to the fair. Oest says he collected more than 20 business cards and received multiple interview requests. He says he’s weighing his options. “I liked that I was able to connect with employers in a meaningful way. The employers knew who they wanted to talk to and the students knew what to say, which made the conversation much easier. This