The blustery winds and threatening rain didn’t prevent students from attending the School of Communication’s Recruitment Pavilion, the first career fair organized by the Stein Family Office of Career Services, featuring companies companies tailored specifically to SoC industries. Toppel’s annual networking mixer, the Communication Meet-Up, followed the event, allowing students and recruiters to interact on a more personal level. 

“We wanted to build on it [Meet-Up] and really foster the relationships with our local partners to build a community between our students and the recruiters” says Career Services and Internships Coordinator Kebrina Maharaj who heads the Stein Family Office of Career Services. “My focus is always on the SoC students and ensuring that they have the opportunity to take what they’ve learned here and apply it to their industries.”

The Meet-Up is a unique experience for students looking for internships and employment opportunities.   

“It’s great that the event is catered specifically to us,” says Jasmine Burke, a senior in public relations, as she prepares to speak with the NBC representative. “There are companies for every major, from broadcasting to PR and advertising.”

But it’s not just for the career-seeking students. The Communication Meet-Up and Recruitment Pavilion benefit the recruiters as well.

“The agency is growing quickly and the challenge is identifying talented people who can come in day one and hit the ground running,” says Brian Metcalf, CEO of GreenRoom.

Metcalf is just one of many local company representatives who’ve successfully hired SoC students.

“I met Ally here at the Meet-Up last year. She came on as a summer intern, which extended into fall. She came in extremely prepared and we hired her the second she graduated in December.”

Jamie Santucci, social media manager from THR33FOLD, reminiscences on how she has come full circle in the UM community; it’s her first time recruiting at an SoC event since graduating last year. 

“I discovered THR33FOLD at a UM recruitment event and was hired as an intern when I was a junior,” says Santucci, one of four UM alumni at THR33FOLD.

“We want to give back to the community and we see a lot of good talent from UM,” Santucci added.

The winds die down as the Recruitment Pavilion slowly segues into the Meet-Up.

“The foundation for the communications community have been set and the Pavilion is definitely something I want to continue to focus on,” says Maharaj as the event break down begins. “It really allowed the students to dive in and take the first steps into a career and who knows, maybe one of the students will be back next year as a recruiter.”

Click here to view photos from the Communication Meet-Up and Recruitment Pavilion.