Several Southern students took advantage of the chance to discuss professional opportunities with an estimated 70 employers at Career Development Day. This event was held Oct. 6 in the Billingsly Student Center.

“Career Day allows me to interact with people who have graduated and are already in the professional field,” said Bruce Miller, senior CIS major. “I can get information as to whether or not teachers are giving accurate information on what we need to know when we get into the professional field.”

Several alumni led breakout sessions and informed students about their respective professional fields.

“The best advice I heard was in a CIS breakout session,” Miller said. “They advised us as to what type of questions we should be asking [employers].”

Miller said the questions included: “What should I do to be hired by your company?; How do I present my myself? and I want to be hired by your company, what are you looking for?”

Students weren’t the only ones who benefited from Career Day.

“We have positions to fill and even if we didn’t, we’d come just to keep our name in front of students,” said Justin Roberts, a representative from BKD, LLP. “It saves the time and energy it takes to locate people.”

He also saw several benefits for students who participated in the event.

“For a lot of students who aren’t aware of what their options are, it gives them a chance to talk to us about what we do and see if it fits their lifestyle and personality,” Roberts said.

Pat Hurley, director of career services, had a graduate school compliment Southern students’ approach to employers. Hurley said students seemed communicative and had good eye contact and good questions for organizations. She said students seemed prepared and confident in their communication skills.

Miller said he handed out about 20 resumes to employers.

Hurley also said several students participated in the Resume-O-Rama. Several students also set up appointments to have their resumes checked.

This year employers not only had the opportunity to register for the event online, but they also had the opportunity to have on-campus interviews. Some students were selected for interviews on Career Development Day, while other students were slated for an interview earlier after employers received their resumes.

Overall, Hurley said that Career Development Day went well. About 900 to 1000 Southern students attended the event. This is approximately the number of students who have attended the event in recent years.