The Associated Students for Career Orientation in Telecommunications are hosting the first-ever MSU career fair with a special interest in telecommunication students, today - the Interactive Michigan Area Telecom Expo.
In the past, jobs and internship opportunities for students majoring in telecommunication were difficult to come by, group spokesman and telecommunication junior Jeffrey Smith said.
“The boom of the Internet and different information fields have sparked a need for this kind of expo,” Smith said.
The group has set out to change the past and set a new trend, he said.
The student-run organization has brought the expo, also referred to as iMATE with the hope of making resources more readily available to students pursuing careers in telecommunication.
The expo will be 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Kellogg Center Centennial Room.
Keeping up with Gov. John Engler’s State of the State address in which he called for a increase in technological information, iMATE’s goal is helping not only MSU students, but Michigan telecommunication firms, like Global Crossing, Strategic Interactive, ACD.net, Ameritech, EDS and Cisco Systems.
“In the past, there hasn’t been much involvement, but since the industry has grown, it’s been easier on telecommunication students,” said Brandon Bernier, group president and telecommunication senior.
Although the career fair is geared toward telecommunication majors, group members expect iMATE to attract students from the colleges of Communications Arts and Sciences, Business and Engineering. Media organizations such as Fox 47 and TV-10 will also be in attendance, organizers said.
“iMate is the first opportunity for students to meet companies in the telecommunication field,” Bernier said. “It will hopefully bridge the gap between students and companies.”
Telecommunication junior Amanda Brehm said she is looking forward to attending iMATE because she thinks it will be more personal than the last career fair she attended, which was hosted by the College of Communication Arts and Sciences.
“The last career fair was so big, I couldn’t talk to anyone,” Brehm said. “iMATE should provide better networking opportunities for telecommunication majors in a more intimate setting.”
Group members expect nearly 1,000 students to attend, but want more to attend the expo.
“We want everyone to come and browse at iMATE, to help us establish a better way to communicate with telecommunication businesses,” Smith said.
