The Scripps College of Communication hosted its spring career fair virtually on Thursday, April 1.
Employers and students had the chance to connect via Handshake from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. for either one-on-one, 10-minute sessions with employers or attend either Cisco or the E.W. Scripps Company’s presentations.
Chip Mahaney, an emerging talent leader for the E.W. Scripps Company, spoke on behalf of the company and discussed possible options within the business.
“We were a newspaper company all the way from our very beginning until 2015, but newspapers are a tough business these days,” Mahaney said. “We're one of the very biggest companies in local television, which is still a very healthy business.”
Mahaney also gave students advice on what he looks for in a job candidate: someone who is “excellent and interesting.”
“I was trying to gauge my qualifications for some jobs,” Jack Langen, a freshman studying integrated media, said of his one-on-one session with Mahaney. “I discussed with him some potential jobs that I’ve applied to and just to get his opinion on my qualifications for that.”
From Mahaney’s presentation, Langen said he was able to glean insight into what employers are looking for in candidates and what to expect in the job search.
“You need to think of what's it going to take not only to present myself best I can be but to be better than everybody else,” Mahaney said. “Unlike a race where you can see your opponents, you can't see who you're competing against when you're applying for a job.”
Chip Mahaney, an emerging talent leader for the E.W. Scripps Company, spoke on behalf of the company and discussed possible options within the business.
Representatives were available virtually from Cisco, WLFI News 18, Meltwater Group, Quicken Loans, SSTI, the E.W. Scripps Company, WFXR and Inspire PR Group. Shelby Bradford, an account manager for Inspire, had participants introduce themselves and tell her things she would need to know as an employer.
“I commend the students who interacted with us and took advantage of this opportunity,” Bradford said. “Meeting virtually, I think, is a lot harder than meeting in person, which is a little bit more of a casual setting.”
Both Bradford and Mahaney offered their contact information to participants after speaking in case they had any other questions.
“I've had one already reach out to me after her interview, which is great,” Bradford said. “I plan to set up a follow-up interview with her.”
Being online, the fair prevented any in-person meetings but still allowed students to build relationships with employers. Langen said it was nice to know what employers are looking for and what they expect from potential candidates.
“Obviously it’s difficult to build that rapport with a person over the computer,” Langen said. “I did feel that there was consolation with the video chats, and it was nice to have the contact info to be able to follow up.”
