On March 14, the Office of Career Development in partnership with the Office of Student Life and Civic Engagement (SLCE) will host the second annual Recruit a Shark Day from 3:30 – 6 p.m in the Rick Case Arena.
This event is focused on providing a way for students to make connections with employers for possible internship, volunteering, research and employment opportunities.
“Wherever you are in your career you always need to gain experience. We wanted to create an event where students can come meet with employers, provide their resumes, learn more about the company and ideally, obtain an opportunity or upon graduation, find a full time job,” said Emilio Lorenzo, assistant director of employer relations
In the past, the Office of Career Development would hold yearly career fairs for students but, through a rebranding of the event with Recruit a Shark Day, they hoped this event can break some of the stigmas that were associated with career fairs.
“Opportunities weren’t targeted towards the major interests for students. So this was a full rebrand not just in terms of the name but the quality and quantity of employers and how we are marketing to students. We had to make sure that the name reflected the event. The scope for this event is larger than it used to be. In the past, the event was mainly for internships and job opportunities. Now it is open for research opportunities and volunteering. That’s why the event is done in partnership with the SLCE office. SLCE used to have a volunteer fair which is now tied into our event. So this event really ties into any experience that can happen in college that can be part of experiential learning in your field,” said Lorenzo.
Last semester, at the first annual Recruit a Shark Day, students from the marine biology and environmental science majors were disappointed in the lack of options for their fields. This semester, Recruit a Shark hopes to improve that disparity with new employers like Miami Seaquarium, Jungle Island and a lot of different marine science opportunities that weren’t present during the fall semester.
Currently, there are 117 employers signed up to attend this event and connect with students. Some companies include American Express, Royal Caribbean, Office Depot, DHL, Moss Construction, Florida’s professional athletic teams and government agencies like the CIA, FBI and Stryker will attend.
“This year is different. We really do have top brands and we are doing a good job of promoting [Recruit a Shark Day] and giving students the opportunity to bring their resumes, be present and make the opportunity for themselves. Students having the ability to find their niche during this event. All students can find something that fits for them. This gives student their own free reign of whatever opportunity they are going to find,” said Tara Seychel, sophomore marketing major and marketing and communications intern at the Office of Career Development.
Lorenzo explained that at times, students see the list of employers and without talking to them, make an assumption that they don’t have a way to work with them. He stresses that many of these companies have multiple departments, which means that students can do marketing for a hospital or accounting for an organization, for example.
“From my experience, when I was a senior in my undergraduate career near graduation, I was lost in my career. I had no idea what I wanted to do. For an event like Recruit a Shark, those opportunities and that name make you feel that there is some hope in your future career,” said Johnny Kevorkian, employer relations coordinator for the Office of Career Development.
Student interested in attending this event can visit Handshake online to RSVP or come to the event the day of. Students are required to dress in business attire because of the professional setting.
