MC Hosts Career Day 2008
Despite heavy thunderstorms, MC students kept pouring in to size up career opportunities, see a "dressed for success" fashion show and polish their resumes on the Clinton campus Tuesday.
Held for the first time in Anderson Hall, the event orchestrated by MC's Career Services Office wasn't limited to MC's Class of 2008 with May graduation on the horizon.
Often "the first impression is the only impression," said MC sophomore Corey Garrett, 22, one of the stars in the MC fashion show as hundreds looked on near the runway. Wearing the proper attire "builds confidence about yourself," said the Clinton High graduate. The biology major is already making big plans. Garrett's goal is to attend the University of Mississippi Medical center in Jackson and open up a pediatric practice in Clinton.
He joined students as early as their freshman year taking part in MC's Career Day. More than 500 students attended Career Day activities.
"Students shouldn't wait until their senior year," said junior JaKel Marshall, 23, of Biloxi, who stopped by to talk with recruiters from the FBI, Regions Bank, Cellular South and others. "You need to get in touch with folks early," added the MC communication major, a 2005 Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College graduate.
When students and recruiters did talk, they found lots of opportunities out there despite a slowdown in the national economy.
"We definitely need nurses," said Jodi Creed, a human resources recruiter with Baptist Health Systems in Jackson. "We think MC nurses are among those better prepared. We love MC graduates."
Nursing professor Charlotte Wood said students can count on rewarding careers and rising salaries in the health-care profession. "There's always a demand for nurses," she said. Whether they are working at a big hospital in metro Jackson or at the giant Nissan auto plant near Canton, there are unlimited career options for nurses, said Wood. MC is making it easier for students to earn degrees through a new on-line nursing program beginning in the spring.
The biggest crowd-pleaser was the fashion show, a first for MC's annual Career Day. It turned out to be "pretty fun," said senior Shaun Konstant, 24, a biology major from Waverly, N.Y.
Amid some applause and cheers, Career Services Director Karen Lindsey-Lloyd noted the MC senior was sporting a pink and blue tie with his suit as he walked the runway. It can take as few as three to five seconds for an interviewer to size up a job candidate, and wearing clothes that fit the occasion are a big part of the evaluation, she said.
At the FBI booth, human resources recruiter Erica Parker said she was trumpeting opportunities for MC's men and women to fill slots in the agency's scores of field offices across the United States, including positions in Mississippi. With 56 field offices nationwide, "there are always job openings somewhere,'' she said. The starting salary for a special agent is about $45,000, but that quickly rises to $60,000 to $70,000 with on-the-job experience in a field office.
As he greeted students and visitors, President Lee Royce said Career Day site in Anderson Hall, directly above the MC cafeteria, was a better venue than last year's event in the A.E. Wood Coliseum, normally home to Choctaws' basketball games.
As the event was winding down following months of preparations, Lindsey-Lloyd said she's already looking ahead to an even bigger event in 2009. For those who missed out, she noted the Career Services Office in Nelson Hall is equipped to serve students and work with employers year-round. For additional information call MC Career Service at 601.925.7717. You can also go to career-services@mc.ed or www.mc.edu/career
PHOTO: MC sophomore Corey Garrett, 22, one of the stars in the MC Career Day fashion show
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