East Carolina University (ECU) continued its strong tradition of fostering graduate success at the 2019 Job and Internship Fair. Held at the Greenville Convention Center, the event brought together ECU students and alumni with a diverse range of employers seeking to recruit top talent. Matt Connor, a 2019 economics graduate now working at Gibson Consultants in Wilmington, was among the returning alumni, highlighting the career fair’s impact from both sides of the recruitment table.
Connor’s own career trajectory began at a previous ECU career fair in 2018, where he first connected with Gibson Consultants, a firm specializing in talent acquisition for health plans, hospitals, and digital health companies. He emphasized the crucial role the ECU Career Fair plays in bridging the gap between students and potential employers. “What I feel this career fair does is put opportunities right in front of the students’ faces,” Connor stated. “They can go network and speak to employers. I had a few interviews after this career fair, so it really does just bring opportunities to the students.” He further noted the geographical advantage the fair provides, allowing students to engage with numerous companies without extensive travel, an opportunity that might otherwise be missed.
For current ECU students like junior accounting major Jacob Cherry, the career fair offered a valuable platform to explore various career paths. Cherry approached the fair with an open mind, seeking internship opportunities not only within traditional accounting firms but also in accounting departments across different industries represented at the event. Recognizing the long-term benefits, Cherry mentioned advice from his professors to utilize the fair for networking practice, even in the early stages of his academic journey. “Some of my teachers were saying that even if you aren’t looking for a job to go and practice your networking, get out there and just talk to firms, experiment and see what you like to do,” Cherry explained, underscoring the fair’s value for career exploration and skill development.
The Ecu Career Fair 2019, which incorporated the Engineering, Technology, and Management Career Fair earlier in the day, attracted over 1,500 students and alumni. This impressive turnout underscores the event’s significance in the ECU community. Reinforcing the university’s commitment to graduate success, ECU boasts strong post-graduation outcomes. A Gallup survey revealed that ECU graduates demonstrate higher workplace engagement, stronger wellbeing, greater preparedness for life after graduation, and a belief in the value of their education compared to national averages.
These compelling statistics undoubtedly contributed to the strong employer presence at the fair, with over 150 organizations participating. Among them were ECU alumni T.J. Holloway (’16) and KeyKey Williams (’18) from Hess Construction, based in Gaithersburg, Maryland. Holloway, an assistant project manager, emphasized the company’s consistent recruitment success at ECU. “Hess really does benefit from this fair,” Holloway said. “A lot of our executives and a lot of our project managers came out of ECU. We make it a point to come down to get some of the talent that we know is coming out of here.” Williams added that Hess Construction was actively seeking both interns and full-time employees, prioritizing enthusiastic candidates. “I look for students who are enthusiastic about what we do,” Williams noted, highlighting a key attribute sought by employers at the career fair.
Even for freshman like Clayton Robinson, an information and computer technology major, attending the ECU Career Fair 2019 was a proactive step towards future career goals. While not immediately seeking full-time employment, Robinson aimed to establish initial connections with companies of interest. “I wanted to just get my foot in the door with a lot of the companies that are here,” Robinson shared, demonstrating the long-term perspective many students adopted at the event.
Ashley Arensberg, a junior architectural design student, was focused on securing a summer internship. Attending her second ECU Career Fair, Arensberg appreciated the mix of familiar and new companies present. “There are a lot of companies I haven’t heard of, which is nice, and a lot of the companies that have been here before,” she said, highlighting the fair’s continuous evolution and opportunities for updated connections.
Hosted by ECU Career Services, the ECU Career Fair 2019 successfully connected students and alumni with valuable career and internship prospects. For those who missed this event, ECU Career Services hosts another career fair in the spring semester, scheduled for February 20th. Further details can be found on the Career Services website, encouraging ongoing engagement with career development resources at ECU.
