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Monday was the kick-off for the CEDAR center's 44th annual career exploration week. With a tent set up on the yard, students were invited to meet with corporations who had a plethora of opportunities available for Howard Students.
Director of the CEDAR center, Dr. Joan Browne, spoke passionately about the career exploration week and the purpose of the day's event. The career fest gave students a last minute chance to meet with companies willing to critique resumes and portfolios as well as give tips onspeech and presentation skills.
Fifteen companies including, State Farm, AT&T, Target, Google, Northwestern Mutual and Gap Inc. were represented. The companies who are present during the week are in competition with one another to scout the best talent at Howard. By registering early, these companies were allowed to be the first to meet with Howard students.
The tent was overflowing with students seeking employment and a break from the economic recession plaguing the country. Dr. Browne promises the recession should have little to no effect on the employment opportunities that are available for Howard Students.
"Even at the height of the recession, Howard University has been able to increase the number of companies with the desire of recruiting at Howard University," Browne said.
"This says a lot about the Howard brand because in this day and age when companies are not recruiting, they are still coming to HU."
These companies were attracted to Howard students for many reasons. State Farm representatives, Theonnie Shields, systems department manager, and Freddie Vinson, systems analysis, are seeking individuals to join the company's systems analysis and creative services department. Shields also spoke about a more exclusive opportunity for students to join State Farm's private film studio were marketing videos are made.
Other exclusive career options were available with the INROADS, Inc. Jay Nwanchu, senior national recruiter with INROADS, is looking for, "…freshmen and sophomore applicants who are having trouble finding internships." INROADS looks to train underclassmen through programs that will help them hone soft skills such as presentation, conversational, and appearance skills.
With so many different options available to students, employers explained why they chose Howard University as a primary recruiter site. Monica Jackson, vice president of human resources with the Nielsen Company-a global information measurement company was an HBCU graduate. "…so I recognize all of the great talent that HBCU's have to offer."
Gail Johnson, executive director of human resources with AT&T, announced that Howard has been selected as one of their key schools and that AT&T was excited about building a permanent relationship with the University.
Representatives from Google, State Farm, and the Gap Inc. were attracted to Howard because the diversity on campus mirrors that of their clients and customers which will be excellent for business.
With its rich legacy, diverse crowd, driven student body and international success rate, Howard University is a trusted site for career recruiters. For more information on this week's career exploration week and Howard career services in general, visit www.howard.edu/careerservices.
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