By Nathan Easington, Contributing Reporter
This year’s annual Cathy Hughes School of Communications career fair was held at the Newseum for the second consecutive year on Friday, Oct. 25.
Although this will likely be the last time the career fair is held in the Newseum, as the building was sold to Johns Hopkins University for over 350 million dollars earlier this year. It didn’t stop over 50 companies and hundreds of students from Howard and nearby schools from attending.
“It helps you train and network, and for underclassmen that come to college and worked on their craft, there is a great chance they can land a job for the summer,” explained senior journalism major Jaril Calhoun.
Calhoun is a big supporter of what career fairs can offer. Having been to seven career fairs in his three and a half years on campus, he has attended at least one event every semester resulting in an internship at NBC Universal over the summer of 2019.
Other students have also found value on the overall experience of the fair, believing it prepares them and their peers for some of what they might see in the real world.
“The job fair is important for underclassmen because it gives you the opportunity to meet the top people at top companies and getting them to look at your resume,” said Michael Burgess II, a junior broadcast journalism major.
This year 53 companies held booths at the fair. While the companies were mainly communications focused, many highlighted that they offered programs for students in a range of disciplines. Consulting, public relations and entertainment companies were all there in addition to traditional news and media outlets.
Recruiters noted that career fairs allowed them to help plan their recruiting strategies for the upcoming year, and in turn, help settle some of the stress associated with a new traditional hire.
“It’s always important to build the connection with the universities in your region, and the talent that you get starting at career fairs, helps us figure out the new generation of workers,” explained Christophe Scarboro a recruitment coordinator for Edelman.
Edelman is a public relations and consulting firm that was founded over 60 years ago and is currently the largest PR and consulting firm in the world by revenue.
The infographic below gives a summary of the range of companies present at the 2019 School of Communications Career Fair.
