Dress for the job you want, print copies of your polished resume, and prep that pitch speech about “why you should hire me” for a series of upcoming career fairs.
That’s the advice from the UWM Career Planning and Resource Center (CPARC), which brings the fairs to campus starting this week. They include the Diversity Matters Public Health Career and Internship Fair on Tuesday, April 5; the Spring 2016 Internship and Career Fair on Thursday, April 21; and the first-ever Education Career Fair on Saturday, April 23.
The spring 2016 events – combined with previous social work, engineering and business career initiatives – will push the number of employers visiting UWM during this academic year beyond 500.
“The enthusiastic employers who return to UWM for career fairs, information sessions and on-campus recruiting tells us something about our students,” said Jean Salzer, director of CPARC. “Employers know we provide a quality education to our students, and the more we seek to develop students’ communication, teamwork and problem-solving skills, among others, the greater the numbers of returning employers will be.”
The spring 2016 fairs feature some of the world’s top companies. Apple Inc. has already been to campus once this spring and returns April 21. And Amazon seeks UWM grads to apply for management and operations positions at its new Kenosha facility.
Spotlight on the School of Education
The Spring 2016 Education Career Fair is a pilot program, but some 30 employers are expected to attend. The fair runs 10 a.m.-1 p.m. in the Union’s Ballroom East, and a lunch and networking event follows from 1-2 p.m. It was planned for a Saturday to accommodate the packed teaching and class schedules of education majors.
Employers from across Wisconsin and the country are still signing up, but the list already includes Milwaukee Public Schools, which is Wisconsin’s largest school district, as well as Texas’ San Antonio Independent School District, which is one of America’s fastest-growing districts.
“Texas is a booming state,” said School of Education Dean Alan Shoho, who arrived at UWM after 21 years at the University of Texas-San Antonio. “Recruiters from there are very interested in meeting UWM’s education graduates.”
It’s a showcase for teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, substitute teachers and counselors. Kamara Jackson, CPARC recruiting coordinator, thinks it will become a fixture in UWM’s annual career-fair programming.
The nationwide demand for educated, experienced and licensed new teachers is so great that the School of Education has invited education majors from other Wisconsin colleges and universities.
Questions can be directed to Jackson at jacksonkc@uwm.edu. UWM education majors are encouraged to have their resumes professionally reviewed by CPARC advisers during walk-in hours, scheduled Monday-Friday.
