Centenary Hosts Regional Career Fair
Centenary served as the host for Northwest Louisiana’s first regional career fair in seven years this past March, partnering with Louisiana State University - Shreveport, Bossier Parish Community College, Southern University Shreveport, the Louisiana Workforce Development Commission, and the City of Shreveport to host the event.
Planning for the event began in April 2022 and the planning committee began meeting in July 2022. Committee members included Directors of Career Services Debbie Bury from Centenary, Dr. Lonnie McCray from Southern University Shreveport, Kathy Busch from Bossier Parish Community College, Jennie Flynn-McKevitt from Louisiana State University Shreveport, and Lenard Adams from Workforce Development. Although the group brought varying levels of experience with career fairs, the team worked together to create a successful event for the committee. “I really think it was a labor of love for all our students. The fair was a representation of what we do - connect students to employers. I think we worked very well together, and friendships were made along the way,” says Debbie Bury, Director of Career Development and Internships at Centenary.
The Career Fair brought in 102 employers and recruiters and had 14 organizations on a waitlist. Employers came from New Orleans, Houston, Baton Rouge, Longview, Dallas, and Texarkana. The fair also hosted a variety of industries representing health services, law firms, law enforcement, non-profits, government agencies, finance/accounting firms, oil and gas, and renewable energy companies. Some popular companies among students included FBI-New Orleans, General Dynamics Information Technology, US Bankruptcy Court, the Peace Corps, Ochsner-LSU Health, and Willis-Knighton Health System.
The planning committee hopes to make the career fair an annual event and to increase student attendance in coming years.
Planning to attend a career fair soon? Check out these tips from Centenary’s Office of Career Services to maximize your career opportunities!
Make sure you know how to give a proper handshake.
Bring several copies of your UPDATED resume.
Dress like you are going to an interview.
When you get the list of employers prior to the fair, research the top companies you want to talk to.
Use your time at the fair to build your network.
Keep an open mind about companies that seem “out of your field,” even a hospital needs accountants and a legal team.
Ask for a business card from every employer you talk to.
After the fair, send a thank you to each employer, thanking them for their time, interest, and help in your career exploration, internship, or job search. (Email or snail-mail is fine…just send one!)
Make sure you are active on Handshake and check it often for new positions and events that can help you in your job search.