New career fair coming to Ramsey Center

Western Carolina University’s Center for Career and Professional Development will be holding their new and improved career fair, Catamount Career and Networking Day, on March 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Ramsey Regional Activity Center on campus.

There are 117 employers signed up to attend, offering students many opportunities for jobs, graduate school, internships, shadowing and volunteering.

With the number of employers almost doubling the number of previous years, during which employers who attended averaged between 40-50, the event was moved from the A.K. Hinds University Center to the Ramsey Center.

The event is open to all majors in the university, with certain employers looking for students in particular majors.

The director of the Center for Career and Professional Development, Theresa Paul, says students should be flexible when looking at the different employers listed.

“Students need to remember to keep an open mind about the opportunities available for them and to not discount an employer just because of their name brand. Examples of this are that insurance companies have many departments, including communications, marketing, and even emergency response areas, that aid customers who have gone through natural disasters…which I think would be a perfect job for a psychology student,” Paul stated in an email.

Students can log onto their Job Cat to see the list of employers and what kind of profile employees they are looking for. If you have your resume ready and know who is coming here you can see where to find them in Ramsey. And don’t forget put on your best business attire.

Paul expects around 500 students to attend, compared to the average 150-200 students in previous years. This is likely because of the event’s structure change and the extra promotion.

“It is a lofty goal but one I think Western students will rise to,” Paul stated.

This year’s event is combining the previous two fairs (Spring Career and Graduate School Fair and Summer Jobs and Internships Fair) into one, having panel question and answer sessions at the beginning and at the end of the job fair.