Moody Spring Career Expo
The time has come for the Moody College of Communications Career Expo, which
took place on January 30, 2024, at UT’s RecSports Center Gym. Employers came
together to recruit undergraduate and graduate students for internships and full-time
positions in fields like sales, marketing, PR, technology, and hospitality. Regardless of
class standing or previous work experience, the expo’s goal is to open up an opportunity
for students to grow their network. It’s a great chance to connect with others in their
desired fields and receive pointers on their communication skills in professional
settings.
As a junior advertising major who attended the expo, I had the opportunity to
connect with companies like Giant Noise, Live Nation, Hyatt, and Spectrum to learn
more about the challenging internship process for this upcoming summer. A majority of
companies were looking for similar skills for their open positions. From perfecting my
resume to practicing my ‘elevator pitch’, I conducted research on specific employers and
made sure to express why my experiences align with the company culture.
A good place to start was revisiting my previous experiences and finding skills
that I felt stood out to the recruiters. Writing questions during your research process is
useful, as this shows recruiters your level of preparedness. Beforehand, I organized my
LinkedIn with my most recent resume to provide synchronicity across all boards. One of
my biggest takeaways was hearing how employers landed their jobs and the knowledge
they’ve gained from these experiences.
However, the expo goes beyond talking to recruiters and learning about different
companies. The event prioritizes creating authentic professional relationships. As a
student actively searching for internships and full-time roles, my next steps are to
ensure I stay connected with the recruiters I meet and flag down open positions at their
companies. This helps recruiters understand that the interactions they had weren’t only
opportunistic, but genuinely a chance to learn more about a working, professional field.
The turnover for jobs and internships in today’s market is quick. Sometimes with
the accelerated process of how they are posted, it’s possible to miss out on a window of
opportunity. With that being said, it’s important to actively keep your information
updated on your resumes and LinkedIn, and continue practicing interview skills to
make improvements for the next career fair.
