Professionally dressed with freshly updated resumes in hand, students have a lot to prepare before making their Career Showcase entrances.
They’re not the only ones, however.
On Sunday morning, about 15 Stephen C. O’Connell Center staff workers spent four hours setting up tables for the 278 registered companies attending Spring 2015 Career Showcase.
Career Showcase will be today from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is open only to UF students and alumni.
Long hours of planning, advertising and marketing for several months make the two-day showcase a success each semester, said Heather White, director of the Career Resource Center.
“Students secure full-time jobs and internships from this event,” she said.
Tuesday is the non-technical day for students interested in accounting, healthcare, communications, education and sales and retail. Wednesday is known as the technical day for students in the computer science, engineering, information system and research fields.
White said first- and second-year students should attend the showcase even if they are not looking for a job or internship.
“It’s a great way to understand how that process works and a great way to network,” she said.
White said there is a nine percent increase in the amount of companies attending from last Spring, and the showcase is the largest in the Southeast.
There are 43 companies that are either new or have not attended in the last three years, plus 17 local companies, she said.
“To see those numbers constantly growing is such a rewarding experience,” she said.
White added that it’s rewarding to see the showcase come together, watching students gain job opportunities.
“We know that this changes students’ lives,” she said.
Dana McPherson, marketing and digital media manager, said behind the scenes is busy, but she enjoys it.
“It’s stressful, but with that stress, it’s a lot of excitement and creativity,” she said.
Students can check into the showcase with their Gator 1 Cards, and alumni need to bring a resume indicating they graduated from UF. Students can also print their resumes at the O’Connell Center.
[A version of this story ran on page 1 on 2/3/2015 under the headline “O’Dome to be swamped for Spring Career Showcase"]
