Career Development Center to Host Job and Internship Fair for Alumni, Students

Published on February 22, 2017 by Philip Poole

by Olivia Williams

Samford University’s Career Development Center will host a job and internship fair March 2 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in Seibert Hall. The event, which is open to both alumni and students, includes 73 organizations from around the country, including several with international locations.

Interested attendees can learn more about the event and view the list of organizations attending here. Employers scheduled to attend include the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), the Peace Corps, Triumph Services Inc. and Cobbs Allen.

There will also be several summer camps and graduate programs onsite, including Camp Fletcher, YMCA Camp Cosby, Ida Moffett School of Nursing and Cumberland School of Law.

“We encourage underclassmen to come even if they’re not looking for internships yet,” said Dora Ditchfield, director of the Career Development Center. “They can start talking to employers to find out what they are looking for, and start building those skills and qualifications.”

Ditchfield encourages alumni and students to review the list of employers and research information about these organizations prior to the event. She said it’s a good idea for attendees to make a list of employers they’d like to meet with, but to make sure that they have an open mind and welcome the opportunity to meet with other companies as well.

“Alumni and students need to look beyond names they recognize, and they need to find out what these companies do and what they look for,” Ditchfield said. “So many jobs you can apply for online, but making that person-to-person contact can get you an interview.”

Attendees are expected to come dressed professionally to the event, Ditchfield said, and résumés are strongly encouraged for those actively seeking internships or full-time positions. Participants will receive a map when they walk in of where each employer is located.

“We absolutely encourage alumni and students to take advantage of this opportunity, but we are also here for incoming freshmen through graduation and beyond,” Ditchfield said. “Whether it’s choosing a major, changing a major, internships, graduate school or job search, we can help every step of the way.”

Olivia Williams is a journalism and mass communication major and a news and feature writer in the Division of Marketing and Communication.

Samford is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Samford is the 87th-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Samford enrolls 6,101 students from 45 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Samford fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and ranks 6th nationally for its Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.