TU’s 2025 Cane Career Fair continues to improve yet still has room to grow.
The Reynolds Center was absolutely packed with well-dressed students and employers, despite the intense heat and humidity. Each student was given a nametag and a stamp to mark their major, then left to their own devices; the air was overwhelmingly positive, even a little intoxicating. As a freshman, this was my first TU career fair, but from those I’ve interviewed – employers, upperclassmen, and the like – it was up to par.
The employers were incredibly diverse. There was representation from the public sector, the private sector, energy companies, nonprofits, and everything in between. I did notice that the STEM-oriented employers – those looking for engineers, programmers, premeds, et cetera – consistently had much more student interest and long lines of applicants, while the more liberal arts-oriented booths had fewer students, or even none at all as I passed by. This isn’t surprising, given the demographics of TU’s majors, and is, if anything, a boon to the more liberal arts-focused students as they were given the opportunity to talk at length with prospective employers. Perhaps it would be in the university’s interest to seek out more STEM industry employers, to reduce competition between students.
Every employer interviewed was posed the same few questions, and in turn gave the same few answers. While some employers had been coming to TU’s career fairs for a decade, and some were attending for the first time, they all had an incredibly positive view of the school. My notes from every single employer contain the word ‘great’, in reference to the quality of students and the organization. Several employers suggested students had improved in quality, albeit slightly, in their attitude, dress, and preparedness. None suggested that the school had disappointed. Of the students I’ve interviewed, the conclusions are similarly positive. Most have scheduled interviews, and all agree that they’ve gained something from the experience.
Having also attended two Cane Careers events, the ‘Power Skills’ seminar and ‘Closet Raid,’ my conclusions are also, for the most part, positive. The former was a bleak, but necessary reminder of what employers are looking for, and how to format your resume. That your resume should be built for an algorithm, and not a human, is an unfortunate reality that was not forgotten. As a result of attending the Closet Raid later in the day, there were only two men’s jackets left – one of which was chosen right before my eyes – but there remained a decent selection of other clothing which left my fellow attendees satisfied. Viewing the event with a more clinical interest, it was not over or underwhelming, but were there somebody who really needed a jacket, for instance, they would have left disappointed.
Ultimately, while my personal experience was a bit lacking, this year’s 2025 TU Fall Career Fair was a demonstrable success, and the official feedback will most likely reflect this. Due in large part to the school’s effective preparation and organization of the event, both employers and students left satisfied, and hopefully many students will have found satisfying employment.
