News

Management Pre-Fair Encourages Recruitment Conversation


September 2016

Career Fair is a huge event geared toward helping students of all majors and disciplines network with companies from around the country in their chosen fields. While the benefits to be gained from Career Fair are huge, the hustle and bustle of the event can sometimes be overwhelming, and students don’t always get the amount of face time they need with company representatives.

For Management students, however, there is an answer: the Management Pre-Fair.

The two-hour event took place on September 14, the night before Career Fair, in FSB’s Forsythe Commons. It was a great opportunity for students to network with companies in a more intimate setting. Instead of waiting in long lines to speak with representatives, students were able to converse in an informal setting and really sell themselves prior to the fair itself.

“They have two hours and not nearly as many students, so it’s possible to have a real conversation with the recruiters,” said Management department chair, Byron Finch.

“I think pre-fair events are the most important a student can attend if they are interested in a position with a company for a number of reasons,” said Lucas Arnold, an FSB grad who now works with Textron, a diversified aircraft manufacturer and one of the biggest recruiters of Management students. “The student can get real-world advice from a person who was just in their shoes a few years ago. Most importantly, it gives the student a chance to get some extended face time and really make an impression with their resume before Career Fair.”

Twelve companies attended the event. Some, like Textron, are regular recruiters for Management students. Others, like Honda, Fifth Third Bank and Macy’s, were new to the Pre-Fair event. Around 120 students attended from both the Management & Leadership and the Supply Chain & Operations Management majors.

At the end of the day, Arnold had quite a few resumes that he was seriously interested in - and the intimate nature of the Pre-Fair was the reason he was able to make so many good connections.

“Career Fair is a great opportunity, but there are so many students that day we talk to, it is easy to forget about someone,” Arnold said. “Attending a pre-fair event will make me remember a student so when they come see me at Career Fair I don’t have to make that decision about whether or not I want to interview them, I already know I do.”

The Management department hosts this Pre-Fair each year and encourages all Management majors to attend.

Miami students at Business Pre-Fair