Ties were straightened, resumes were stacked, and comfortable shoes were switched to heels. Gators were prepared for Career Showcase.
UF students and alumni filled the Stephen C. O’Connell Center for a two-day event connecting students to employers offering internships and full-time jobs.
Tuesday focused on nontechnical fields, and today will focus on technical fields.
Professional headshots were offered free of charge both days in a designated LinkedIn photo area.
“Branding oneself professionally” with headshots is a service recently offered by the Career Resource Center, said Heather White, director of the CRC.
Kenneth Haskins, a UF food and resource economics junior, said he was astonished by the number of employers. More than 250 companies attended both days of the event.
White said she expects a turnout of more than 8,000 students and alumni this year.
The event continues to grow and attract more students and employers every year. UF’s Career Showcase is the largest career fair in the southeast, said White. There was a 5 percent increase in employers this year compared to last year.
Employers ranging from UF Health Shands Hospital to the U.S. Navy filled two levels of the O’Connell Center. Many offered positions both locally and abroad but said they all look for the same values in a potential employee.
“It starts with everything from a good handshake to eye contact,” said Bill Wease, a program director at the Norfolk Ship Support Activity Regional Maintenance Center.
One key accessory for many students was not the perfect briefcase or a killer suit — it was confidence.
Andrew Hutcherson, a UF finance and information systems senior, said he felt great about the two internships he applied for.
“I think I got the job,” said Hutcherson. “I definitely wooed the guy.”
A version of this story ran on page 8 on 1/22/2014 under the headline "Students showcase their stuff"
Students gather in the Stephen C. O’Connell Center on Tuesday during the nontechnical day of UF’s Career Showcase. The second day of recruiting will feature the Technical Career Showcase — geared toward students looking for work in engineering, biology, computer sciences and other technical backgrounds.
