50+ recruiters converge at SC State Career Expo, opening doors to internships and careers

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — More than 50 recruiters gathered at South Carolina State University’s Career Expo/Internship Day, where students connected with employers, explored career paths and positioned themselves for internships and future jobs.   

“We want to focus on our students getting internships so that can be the pipeline for them to get jobs. It’s open to all majors. We’ve been doing this for quite some time in the spring. We invite a variety of companies, agencies, businesses and school districts,” said Joseph B. Thomas Jr., SC State Career Center director. 

The event was held Thursday, March 19, at the Kirkland W. Green Student Center, which was filled with activity as students used face-to-face interactions with potential employers to showcase their interviewing and other skills.   

“For internships on any job, you’ve got to be trained. So why not be trained while you’re in college? Our motto in the Career Center is ‘train, develop, recruit.’ Train the students and develop their skill sets so that they can be recruited,” Thomas said. 

AgFirst Farm Credit Bank, Duke Energy, Boeing and the Charleston County School District were among the businesses, industries, school districts and graduate and professional schools represented at the event. 

“That’s the level we want to maintain and increase. You’ve got well over 50 recruiters who are out there hungry to recruit our students. The job market today is different from the job market of yesterday, but they’re here. That means they’re serious about recruiting,” Thomas said. 

Students gain insight into career opportunities 

Jerome Chinnock, 21, a freshman computer science major from Jamaica, said he was attending his first career fair at the university but found it informative and helpful. 

“I’m here to see the opportunities it can produce, what it’s about and just get as much information as possible. I’m interested in technology and getting hands-on work. What I think fits or suits me — that’s what I’m looking for,” Chinnock said.   

“Events like this obviously create a lot of opportunities, and students can potentially learn a lot. This is a great opportunity to practice your communication skills,” he said. 

Kelvin Hampton, 19, a freshman sports management major from Columbia, South Carolina, said the career expo offered him the opportunity to explore his options. 

“I don’t want to be narrow-minded. I want to branch out and be well-rounded. So that’s really what brought me here, but I hope to own a business in the future, a sports agency or something like that,” he said.   

In the meantime, Hampton said he enjoys the family atmosphere that the university provides. 

“I chose South Carolina State because I love the people here. I love the family environment. They let you express yourself, and I also have family ties here,” he said. 

Aydrion Scruggs, 21, an early childhood education major from Augusta, Ga., said she came to the career expo looking for an internship and appreciated the feedback she received from recruiters.   

“I’ve learned about many different programs. I learned about the different internships during the summer. With me being in the concert choir, I’ve got to go to Carnegie Hall in June. I’ve found that they’re flexible, so that’s also cool,” she said.   

“My future goal is to become an educator and then further down the line after I graduate, I want to open up my own learning academy,” Scruggs said.   

She said events like the career expo are beneficial to students. 

“I think it’s important to let them know about the different opportunities that are out there. A lot of us don’t know. I’m from Georgia, so I don’t really know about all the opportunities in South Carolina,” Scruggs said. 

“With having this fair, this opens me up to opportunities here. It’s kind of cool because I’ve gotten people from Charleston, Orangeburg and other places across South Carolina who I’m learning about,” she said. 

Scruggs said SC State is providing a strong foundation for her education. 

“I chose SC State because I’ve heard a lot of good things about SC State, and I love the education program. They have one of the best education programs, so I decided to come here,” she said. 

La’Tonia Murdaugh, 26, is a graduate student at SC State studying nutritional science. She came to the career fair to learn more about potential employers.   

“I just want to talk to an organization in my field and see how I can help out. I want to do sports nutrition and things with athletes,” she said. 

Employers strengthen pipeline to student talent 

Dana Bufford, a senior talent acquisition partner with AgFirst Farm Credit, said the company has enjoyed its work with the university, including providing student scholarships. 

“We give a lot to South Carolina State because, of course, it’s in our own backyard, our own community. Then, of course, with a HBCU, we want to be able to be one of those guiding factors for the youth,” she said. 

“A lot of opportunity may not come to this demographic, so we want to be the ones that are in the forefront of making a difference. We do donate. We provide scholarships each year. With our internship program, our internships do also get a stipend,” Bufford said. “That stipend is given every semester that they’re here.” 

She said the company also tries to be a pipeline from the classroom to the workforce. 

“We definitely try to be. We conduct classroom lectures, as well. We’ve definitely tapped into South Carolina State. We love South Carolina State. We’re just excited to be a part of it and just give opportunities,” Bufford said.   

Jackie Williams-Kelly, an operations lead recruiter for BMW in South Carolina, said the company has a vested interest in the university and in providing career opportunities for its students. 

“We come mostly looking for interns, engineering interns and business students. We have a program where we have internships all year long — spring, summer and fall,” she said. 

“We also have a business relationship with the school. We have a scholarship that we offer through South Carolina State. So, we always hope to have some of these students in our internship program and as the recipients of scholarships,” Williams-Kelly said. 

She said events like the career expo help prepare students for future careers. 

“It’s important, one, to give the students the opportunity to practice their communication skills with employers. It’s also important for them to be able to get face-to-face feedback and to have their questions answered, as well,” Williams-Kelly said. 

She said she was also impressed with the students she interacted with. 

“I’ve been coming here for years to the program, and I’ve seen the students evolve a lot and become more serious and dressed more appropriately. I can tell the school is doing a lot of work with the students,” Williams-Kelly said. “They also ask the right questions, so I can tell that a lot is being invested in the students here at South Carolina State.”