AU Career Services to host annual Jaguar Job Fair at Christenberry

By Rakiyah Lenon | Editor in chief

Augusta University’s Career Services is hosting the Jaguar Job Fair at Christenberry Fieldhouse on Friday, Feb. 10, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. 

This is the first time the annual job fair will be held in-person since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. The event is open to all students and it is highly recommended that participants register prior to attending.  

Kimberly Norville, director of Career Services and a career advisor, said students should take advantage of the opportunity to network at the event. 

“We have 87 employers coming,” she said. “We have everything from school districts and sheriff offices across Georgia, South Carolina and Florida. We have sales, we have healthcare, IT—literally the full gamut range of every possible job you can imagine.” 

Students are strongly encouraged to dress professionally, as if they are preparing for a job interview.  

“There is always a possibility that an employer will be ready to interview and hire on the spot,” she said. “Dress ready to interview.” 

Norville also recommended that students bring a copy of their resume or resumes with them to the job fair. Prior to attending the event, students can upload a copy of their resume to Handshake and a career advisor can assist them with any suggestions or changes they should make. Students can also use Handshake to help them know what to expect. 

“On the fairs page, they can actually see all the employers that are coming,” she said. “They can research and prepare specifically for those companies that they want.” 

Norville said at a job fair like this, students will have the opportunity to become familiar with professionals they would like to work with. 

“It’s never too early to attend a job fair,” she said. “Many of these places might be hiring internships as well.” 

Sharn Vericella, assistant director of Career Services, added that attending the fair will be useful for students in the future.  

“Even if they’re not looking to work right away, it’s a great experience to practice interviewing or what we call giving your ‘elevator pitch’ in front of an employer,” he said. “You can only benefit from the experience. 

Speaking of the elevator pitch, Norville said, “It’s your 30-second marketing tool.”  

She said students should become comfortable introducing themselves and letting employers know of their skills and strengths.  

“The employers that are listing on Handshake are really looking for college students and sometimes specifically AU students,” she said.  

Both Norville and Vericella mentioned that with job shortages across the country, students can expect for employers to look to them to fill positions.  

“Augusta University has such a huge presence,” Vericella said. “We’re connected to all types of industries.” 

Contact Rakiyah Lenon at rlenon@augusta.edu.