This past Thursday, something that hasn’t occurred in over 2 years happened at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center: the Seminole Futures Career Fair was finally able to become a full fledged in-person event once again. While the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic were still seen in a few areas such as a prominent “No Handshakes!” sign that greeted students on the way to the floor, the event overall felt like a breath of fresh air for people hoping to get daily life back on track in 2022.
The lineup of employers present at the Career Fair was stacked with some of the biggest companies in the country, with a huge variety of different fields and job opportunities. There were over 120 employers on the floor, most notably companies like Perry Ellis, Macy’s, Cox Communications, Hershey, PepsiCo, and so many more. On top of that, there were an estimated 1,200 students registered for the event from a wide variety of majors offered at Florida State.
Students began flooding into the Tucker Center right at 9 A.M, and there was a steady stream of FSU students into the Career Fair throughout its entirety. The event itself ran from 9 A.M to 4 P.M, with a one hour lunch break from noon to 1 P.M for the recruiters. There were several amenities available to attendees of the event from a free boxed lunch to a portrait set meant to give students the opportunity to take professional level headshots for their resumes, cover letters, and/or their LinkedIn profile pictures. Multiple students I spoke with said that was a fantastic addition to the Career Fair and are actively using that picture today.
Speaking to some of the students present at the Career Fair, many were grateful that the event was in-person because talking to a real person who is really right in front of you is sometimes less stressful than speaking with someone over Zoom. “I’ve done a few Zoom job interviews and they were way more stressful to me than any conversation I had today”, said Helen Trawick, a senior Communications major. “Being an Accounting major, the job fair is extremely important for me especially. There’s a huge range of different firms and employers here.” said Sam Spangrud, a graduate student who is graduating in May.
Overall, the Seminole Futures Career Fair was a massive success and assuredly there were dozens if not hundreds of jobs being secured throughout the day on the floor. No one enjoys the job hunt, but we can enjoy the fact that Florida State University has done a tremendous job of streamlining that process for its students.
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