To culminate Career Week, the Morehouse College Career Development and Engagement team will host a career fair on Sept. 19 in partnership with the Atlanta University Center Consortium. The event runs from 1 to 6 p.m. at AmericasMart Atlanta, Building Two, and will feature employers such as Citibank, Goldman Sachs, and Royal Caribbean.
Douglas Cooper, executive director of Career Development and Engagement, said events like this are vital to a student’s college experience, providing early opportunities to network and explore careers.
“Our mission is to ensure the professional success of students that are graduating and/or the acquisition of internships for the students that are enrolled here at Morehouse College,” Cooper said. “That effort serves in a number of capacities from helping students with the development of their resumes and helping them develop relationships with organizations that we are engaged with.”
Throughout the week leading up to the Career Fair, students can take part in several networking events, including Industry Days on Monday and Tuesday, Career Coachella on Wednesday, and a golf networking experience at Topgolf on Thursday.
Morehouse has historically been successful in securing internships, work studies, and research opportunities for current students; however, they are also proficient in providing working opportunities for their graduating classes.
According to the Morehouse Career Development and Engagement website, over the past three years, more than 80% of graduates have either pursued further education or secured employment. Among those employed, the average annual salary is approximately $75,000, with graduates working at top companies such as Amazon, Deloitte, Target, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Microsoft, and many others.
Graduates were able to secure those positions because of prior relations established through internships, pipeline programs, and networking events, and the career fair is the first of many steps in that direction.
Cooper said one of the best pieces of advice for nervous students is simply to show up. Opportunities come to those who are present, but they won’t appear if you’re not there.
“Sometimes I think it might feel or seem a little intimidating to meet professionals that are in different industries, but I think just showing up will give you a level of comfort that lets you tell your story, gather information, and then execute relationships from those engagements.” Cooper said.
Students should prepare their resumes, dress professionally, and get ready for the AUCC Career Fair on Sept. 19 at 1:00 PM. For more information, visit the Morehouse Career Development and Engagement website.
