Spalding’s annual spring chance has nearly arrived for students and alumni to network with employers, gain experience in the interview process and possibly land a job or internship.
About 30 employers (see list below) from around the region will be on campus on 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Feb. 20 for Spalding’s Spring Career Expo to meet and greet students and alumni, accept their resumes and explain openings they may have for full-time and part-time employment or internships.
The employers represented will include health care and hospital systems, social services organizations and other nonprofits, an accounting firm and the major corporations UPS and Amazon.
The university strongly encourages students to attend the Career Expo, which is sponsored by Spalding’s Career Development Center, and take advantage of this valuable opportunity.
“It’s just a really great chance to start networking and making connections with Louisville employers,” Spalding Career Development Coordinator Kimberly Palmore said. “A lot of these representatives will be in their current positions for a long time or could move to different places, and because Louisville is a small place, you never know who you are going to see again down the line. It’s a good chance to practice those networking skills, ask questions about employers in the community and see what kinds of jobs they hire.”
Palmore said students should engage all the employers – regardless of what their primary service or product may be – to see what kind of positions they have. Restaurants, for example, still need accountants, she said, and hospitals still need graphic designers and social media managers.
“It’s just looking into where you can fit into these businesses with your major,” Palmore said.
Palmore said several students have landed job interviews after connecting with employers at Career Development events like the Career Expo.
“It is useful,” Palmore said. “Students do get jobs from these (interactions).”
Palmore said students and alumni who attend the Career Expo should dress in business casual or business professional. (Information on proper business attire is available at the Career Development Center’s Pinterest page.)
Students and alumni should also bring copies of their resume to the Career Expo. Even if some of the employers prefer not collect paper resumes and instead direct students to go online to apply for position, it can still be helpful to have a resume on hand.
(Speaking of resumes, the Career Expo will also offer resume reviews and critiques from hiring professionals – a valuable service to help students understand what their resumes should include and how they should look.)
Palmore encourages students to have a elevator pitch about themselves prepared for when they meet employers, giving basic information such as their name, major, skills and interests and work goals. It’s also important to have a plan in mind of the kind of information you want to gain about an employer so that you can ask questions and start a nice conversation.
“Introduce yourself, shake hands – a nice, firm handshake is always good – take business cards when you can,” Palmore said.
Palmore said students should value the business cards they collect and follow up with the representatives with whom they had extensive conversations to thank them and ask if they have additional questions. It’s also smart to ask the employer reps if they have a LinkedIn account to follow.
Palmore has been at Spalding for about a year after previously working in academic advising at the University of Louisville and Jefferson Community and Technical College, and she said she’s always been interested in setting students on the right course to launch their careers.
The Career Development Center, which is located in the Egan Leadership Center, Suite 200, offers services and programs throughout the year.
Palmore said she wants to be a resource for students to become the best job candidates they can be upon the completion of their degrees – advising them on their resumes and cover letters, honing their interview skills and informing them of the types of places they should look for work as well as what kind of graduate programs they should be researching to meet their career goals. She also gives advice on the appropriate use of social media, with regard to how employers may view it.
The Career Development Center recently held its annual etiquette dinner, in which outstanding students nominated by faculty were invited to participate in what amounts to a formal business dinner and social setting. The students practiced navigating a menu and the etiquette for ordering and socializing when they’re the guest of a potential employer.
Employers participating in Spalding’s Spring 2019 Career Expo
Adecco
Amazon
Baptist Health Louisville
Bluegrass.org
Centerstone of Kentucky
Chick-fil-A of Glenmary
DMLO CPAs
ElderCare 4 Families
Enterprise Holdings
Episcopal Church Home
Frazier History Museum
Home Instead Senior Care Louisville
Homewatch Caregivers
Jefferson Memorial Forest
KentuckyOne Health
Maryhurst
Mike’s Carwash
National Processing Center, U.S. Census Bureau
Nazareth Home of Clifton
Owensboro Health
PhysAssist Scribes Inc.
ScribeAmerica
Semper Blue Professional Services Inc.
Speedway
SpringHill Camps
UPS