Nearly 1500 Students Attend FAMU Spring 2024 Career Expo Week Events
By Briona Hopkins
Nearly 1,500 Florida A&M University students and more than 170 employers participated in the 2024 Spring Career Expo week events.
Vanessa Chapman, interim director for the Career and Professional Development Center, hailed the success of the events that provided networking opportunities for students from all majors.
“Typically, many employers focus their recruitment efforts in the fall. However, we saw a 4 percent increase from spring 2023, with 172 employers present at the career expo,” Chapman said. “Just under 1,500 students met with employers at the event.”
Ivan Hopkins, a fourth-year business administration student, said the career fair was helpful for his future career aspirations.
“Different corporations showed me how to highlight my skills on my resume, and I was able to make several connections with companies, such as Dell, Aldi, and JP Morgan Chase,” Hopkins said.
In addition to interviewing for full time jobs and internships, students received assistance in preparing for their careers. On the Al Lawson Jr. Multiple Purpose Center concourse, above where recruiters and job-seekers mingled, 150 students received instant professional headshots through a partnership with Lumatic.
During the Networking Mixer leading up to the Expo, 20 companies connected with students for internships and post-graduate employment.
At the JCPenney Suit-up, held several days before the Expo, members of the FAMU Senior Leadership Team (SLT) donated more than $7,000 for students to purchase business attire and accessories to wear to interviews.
William E. Hudson, Jr., Ph.D., vice president for Student Affairs, said Fortune 500 companies have always found top talent on the Tallahassee campus.
“FAMU has a history of providing students who are ready for the global economy,” Hudson said. “Our students set themselves apart from others due to the rigorous academic and professional development strategies incorporated through our colleges, schools, and the center for career and professional development.”
SBI student Hopkins was impressed by the number of FAMU alumni employed by Fortune 500 companies who returned to interview, recruit, hire and mentor students. They also work with the colleges and schools to ensure curriculum are updated and students have the skills to be competitive in today’s economy.
“There was a prominent alumni network with several companies that I visited,” Hopkins said. “It was good to see alumni giving back and pushing current students to succeed.”
For students in search of internship and full-time employment, the Education, Social Sciences, Arts & Humanities Career Fair will be held on March 6, 2024.