Four days, 30 companies and graduate schools, over a dozen workshops and networking sessions, 19 clubs, and hundreds of students. That is what occurred on campus during BYU–Hawaii’s annual Career Week. For Theone Taala and the rest of the team at Alumni & Career Services, Career Week is their busiest of the entire year, and this year was no different. With responsibilities that include on-campus recruiting and events, Taala oversees Career Week. But even with the demanding schedule, the benefits definitely outweigh the costs. “This is an opportunity for students to really engage with employers and to network with them, which helps significantly as they prepare for life after graduation,” she says.
Twice a year, BYU–Hawaii students are given that chance to network and engage employers during the university’s Career Week. All week, students from various majors and countries attend different events specifically geared toward them, such as professional dress or resume workshops, internship or graduate school information sessions, and Skype conferences with professionals from all over the world. The crowning event of Career Week is the Career & Majors Fair, where students and employers meet face to face and initiate the relationships that lead to jobs, internships, or graduate school admissions. In the Fall, faculty from each major also attend to promote their programs and help students see career possibilities.
This semester, the Career Fair & Majors Fair was held on October 24, 2013, in the Cannon Activities Center. Young Kim, a Business Management major from California who attended the event, said, “I really enjoyed the Career Fair because it gave me a chance to speak with recruiters and employers from a broad selection of industries.”
Though students may have very different interests due to their majors and career preferences, the Career Fair has possibilities for everyone. Kim said, “It's very important to utilize every opportunity that comes up on campus to improve and expand our network in order to prepare for any kind of career in the future.”
Taala agrees. “Even if that company may not be a place students want to work, they can always talk to employers to [ask], ‘What do you look for when you hire? What are your expectations?’ I think if they have the opportunity to interact and practice through an intermediary and learn what the expectations are for employers, it’s a good opportunity.”
Many companies have been coming to BYU–Hawaii regularly and have built good relationships with the university. This has allowed students to get interviews and internship prospects with several big-name companies, such as Goldman Sachs and Nu Skin, which would otherwise be very hard to get. These relationships and the events planned during Career Week can help students turn their desires for great careers into successful realities.
For those who missed Career Week events this semester, dust off your resumes and iron up your suits; the next Career Fair is scheduled for March 6, 2014. Also, other events will be held throughout the semester, including an upcoming Law Fair on December 4, 2013. For more information about career guidance or upcoming events, go to the Career Services office next to the cafeteria or visit career.byuh.edu.