Regional school districts gather to recruit
On Tuesday, April 1, the university’s Career Engagement office hosted its annual semester Javelina Education Expo connecting students to potential employers.
This Javelina Education Expo offered a chance for undergraduates and graduates to meet employers and discover career pathways within the education field.
“One of the best things about the career expo is that we have school districts from all over. I believe this time around we had over 50 school districts who wanted to come and meet our students. So, students are able to meet with school officials. They’re able to get a whole packet on what the benefits are, what type of salaries are being offered. And many of them offered signing bonuses,” Interim Dean of the College of Education & Human Performance Dr. Linda Villarreal said.
The annual semester Javelina Education Expo isn’t just for education majors; however, the event is open to any Javelina student.
“Anytime that you meet with an employer, it’s an opportunity for you to learn how to present yourself, what’s good on a resumé, what’s good on a CV if it’s different from your resumé, and even what interview type questions there would be for that student in other opportunities. So anytime you meet with an employer, it’s a great learning experience for anyone, whether you’re a teacher candidate or a candidate for anything else,” Villarreal said.
Going to an event like this for graduating and non-graduating students is beneficial not only in seeing what opportunities are out in the real world but being able to meet professionals in education. One student, Klayton Meeks, took advantage of the Expo.
“It sets you up because it makes you get connections. Like I’m doing like an internship right now and they mention references to a lot of these schools here, and so just getting my foot in the door so they know when that reference does come, they already see, ‘oh, we saw him here today,’” Meeks said.
Students weren’t the only people encouraged to come to this event. Educators, businesses and employers were encouraged to come recruit and see the future of education, Flour Bluff Independent School District Recruiter Cassie Freeman said.
“It’s a great way for us to be face-to-face and, you know, it’s always a time that those candidates can create a great first impression that we will be able to share with others in the district. And, we will also help support all the great things we do in the virtual district and help make that connection to the future of our education leader team,” Freeman said.
Career Expo’s happen throughout the year not just for education majors but for all majors.
Make sure to check out the TAMUK Career Engagement website for more information on job fairs and other opportunities.