MSU’s Diversity Career Fair, the largest spring semester event on campus according to its website, is taking place from 2 to 6 p.m. Jan. 21 at Breslin Center.
According to MSU’s Career Services Network, the diversity career fair attracts employers in a large variety of industries and provides students with full time, internship and co-op opportunities. There will also be a number of more specialized career fairs taking place across MSU's campus this semester.
Bill Morgan, a MSU Career Services coordinator, said the three most important things a student can do to prepare for future careers is get a part-time job, start an internship and attend career fairs.
Morgan said career fairs introduce employers to potential new workers and give students an opportunity to find job prospects, get their resume ready and practice a personal “elevator pitch."
Career fairs also give students a chance to think about how to effectively interview via connecting with who they are and what an employer is looking for, Morgan said.
However, any part-time job, even if it isn't necessarily a professional internship, gives students the opportunity to gain experience with teamwork, communication, professionalism, paychecks and a real work environment, Morgan said.
“Those part-time jobs are the building blocks that help you get the internships, which are more building blocks, which help you land the entry-level jobs,” Morgan said.
Internships differ from jobs, in that internships are more learning oriented.
“The internship is something that you go into saying … 'I’m here to learn more about this industry, this business, to learn from my supervisor or mentors here who will help explain what’s really going on and why we do the things we do,'” Morgan said.
Urban and regional planning junior Andrew Netter has recently started an internship with the Michigan Department of Transportation.
The internship will provide him with connections, knowledge about the industry, experience with industry software and a better grasp of the urban planning professional environment, Netter said.
Advertising junior Claire Springhetti completed two internships this past summer, one with Personal Care Products and one with Spring Advertising. Both internships provided her with valuable experience for advancing her future career, Springhetti said.
Springhetti said she was able to gain advanced professional experience and better presentation skills through her Personal Care Products internship, while her Spring Advertising internship was better for developing technical skills and experience using industry software.
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