Christian Stewart ’27, right, and Micah Bryant ’27 talk with OnTrack Greenville at the Career and Internship Fair in the Watkins Room of the Trone Student Center on Sept. 24. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.
Furman University students brought their firm handshakes and winning smiles to the Sept. 24 Career and Internship Fair on campus.
More than 300 students cycled through the Trone Student Center’s Watkins Room, meeting and speaking with more than 40 employers. Companies ranging from local nonprofit organizations to globally recognized wealth management companies participated, looking to foster professional connections with Furman’s talented students.
“Employer feedback always notes that Furman students excel in presenting themselves in a professional manner and asking excellent questions,” said Jennifer Stoner, assistant director of employer engagement at Furman’s Malone Center for Career Engagement.
Ramsey Stiles ’28 shakes hands with a representative from BMW at the Career and Internship Fair in the Watkins Room of the Trone Student Center on Sept. 24. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.
The Career and Internship Fair is a collaboration between the Malone Center and the Center for Engaged Learning Internship Office. Beyond facilitating connections, students had access to help resume and cover letter writing tips, as well as a chance to update their professional wardrobes for free with a clothes closet of items donated by Furman faculty, staff and university friends, Stoner said.
This is part of why 98% of Furman graduates in 2024-2025 were placed at a job or in grad school within six months of graduation. They’re set up for success with engaged learning opportunities that expand their personal and professional networks – 86% of students last academic year participated in an internship, study away or undergraduate research opportunity before graduation.
Meanwhile, at the Hartness Pavilion staff from the Institute for the Advancement of Community Health organized the annual Community Health Showcase, highlighting health careers from local partners and offering support for jobseekers.
Making career connections
Jackson King ’22 came to Furman University from Connecticut when he was a student, but on Sept. 24 he was back at his alma mater recruiting for BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina. King cinched his role as a mainframe developer at the 2021 Career and Internship Fair and remembered what it was like to be an undergraduate student navigating the sea of career options.
“It was definitely intimidating, but you grow your confidence as you come to events like these,” he said.
Meg Trammell ’27 talks with a representative from Tiny Feet at the Career and Internship Fair in the Watkins Room of the Trone Student Center on Sept. 24. Photo by Nathan Gray, Furman University.
That’s how Meg Trammell ’27 felt when she came to her first career fair at Furman, but this week’s event was her second time meeting employers this way. As a health sciences major from Birmingham, Alabama and studying to be a physician assistant, she said she enjoyed seeing the variety of careers open for her. It was also fun to see her fellow classmates presenting themselves professionally for the guest recruiters.
“Seeing the number of opportunities around Greenville and how Furman connects to them is really exciting,” Trammell said. “An event like this is a low-stress environment with casual conversations, so it’s so approachable.”
It’s a boon for employers, too, who get the chance to show talented and ambitious students the variety of roles that are available at companies they might not have considered. Kim Macklanburg, director of community partnerships at SouthernFirst bank, said many people don’t think of the information technology, human resources or marketing roles available at a bank.
‘We get the opportunity to get to know a lot of people,” she said, “and they get the chance to learn about the professional landscape and what career options are available.”