Undergraduate and graduate students will have an opportunity to meet with prospective employers and graduate school representatives at the 20th Annual Minority Career Conference on Jan. 25–26.
More than 80 representatives from graduate school programs, industry, government, education and social agencies are expected to attend. Career Planning and Placement personnel anticipate approximately 900 minority students and students with disabilities will participate.
The two-day conference features a job fair format Jan. 25 in the Michigan Union Ballroom, where from 6–9 p.m. students will be able to informally discuss career opportunities with recruiters and browse through information at display tables. Individual interviews will be scheduled Jan. 26 in the Michigan Union Ballroom and Pendleton Room.
“Students, even freshmen and sophomores, benefit by making contacts with specific companies and gathering career information,” says Debbie A. Taylor. Taylor is coordinator of minority services for Career Planning and Placement. “And for the past three years, we have sent to employers a list of all students who registered for the resume data base.”
Ten days after the conference, Taylor says, a computer diskette containing the data base is sent to each of the recruiters. They search the data base for potential employees by looking for specific career interests, experience in a particular field, or even zip code.
“The data base allows employers a different kind of access to students,” Taylor says. Last year, 1,065 minority students registered in the data base.
Students do not need to attend the conference to register in the data base.
Business and industry representatives participating in this year’s conference include such diverse organizations as Northern Telecom, the Peace Corps, Dow Chemical Co., Kraft General Foods and McDonald’s Corp.
Students may register 4:30–8:30 p.m. Jan. 25 in the Michigan Union first floor foyer, or at one of the pre-conference workshops, 3:10–4 p.m. Tuesday (Jan. 18) in Auditorium B, Angell Hall; or 9:10–10 a.m. Jan. 22 at Career Planning and Placement. Pre-conference workshops offer insights for making the most of the conference experience.
