The Georgia Southern University Office of Career Services will be holding its annual Internship and Summer Job Fair next Wednesday, Feb. 1, in the Russell Student Union from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.

“The Internship & Summer Job Fair focuses on part-time summer jobs and relevant internships with a variety of organizations,” Heather Scarboro, the Recruitment Coordinator in the Career Services office said. “This fair will allow students to meet potential employers from a variety of fields.”

The fair will be open to all students. Juniors and seniors can find information on the internships and upcoming job opportunities. For underclassmen, the fair will be a chance to make connections with potential supervisors and co-workers through networking.

“Any career fair is going to allow students to connect with potential employers in a way just applying on a website cannot,” Scarboro said. “They can sell themselves to the potential employer, ask questions about the positions and gain a better understanding about the organization.”

Employers can also benefit from the job fair. Finding college students for internships is a major step in the development of businesses. Through internships, employers can fill key spots on their staff through recruiting interns, Scarboro said.

“Employers love to be able to interact with potential hires,” Scarboro said. “They get a feeling about personality, goals and if the student would fit within their organization.”

Online, Career Services offers several programs, including news on jobs, recruitment chances, information on starting an internship and creating a resume, how to find a job and information on applying to a graduate school.

Students are encouraged to follow tips to make a good first impression at the fair. These tips include finding out which businesses will be in attendance, wearing appropriate business attire and bringing updated resumes.

“When a student first meets a prospective employer, the impression they give is crucial in the development of a deeper professional relationship,” Scarboro said. “The way the student dresses, acts and their resume says a lot to employers about their professionalism, work ethic, ambition and general personality.”

“It seems like a great opportunity,” junior journalism major, Tyler Houston said. “I think all students can benefit from the fair and hopefully gain useful information from it. Internships provide several opportunities and experiences that regular classrooms can't provide,” said former GSU student Kelsey Sorrell.

After an internship with Savannah Morning News, Sorrell was hired as a staff member.

“If there isn't a job opportunity at the place you are interning, then it still looks great on a resume and you obtain wonderful references along the way. So, I would encourage everyone to look into interning during their collegiate career,” she said.