Career fair and elevator pitch practice prepares Kohawks for success
Cedar Rapids Police Officer Shannon Aguero ’11 meets with Matthew Mittelmark ’22, a social & criminal justice major
The Center for Creativity and Careers hosted a Career and Internship Fair for all current students on Oct. 2 in Eby gym. A total of 53 employers were on campus to make connections with Kohawks.
Students attended the event prepared with an elevator pitch — a short personal sales spiel. Kohawks refined their pitch at practice event on Sept. 26. Blue pads adorned the Athletics and Recreation Complex elevator walls which added insulation and inspiring color as students rode between the first and third floors. President McInally, alumni, faculty and Charlie Kohawk listened while students practiced their pitch.
“I really enjoyed the elevator pitch event because it helped me practice for real-life pitches,” said Emani Brinkman ’21, a business administration and environmental studies major. “I also realized how short of a time I actually have to sell myself. This was a low-stress way to practice such an important marketing tool.”
The Career and Internship Fair served two main purposes: allowing employers to meet with prospective employees and helping students learn how to network and prepare for success in the job market. “Over the last year, we’ve been fielding inquiries from Corridor companies that want to connect with our students,” said Nanci Young, Coe career coordinator and advisor. “We had to move our event to a larger venue as interest from employers more than doubled since 2017.”
GoDaddy, GreatAmerica Financial Services, Cedar Rapids Police Department and Transamerica are a handful of larger corridor organizations that were in attendance. Several local businesses including Circle Computer Resources, Medirevv and Revival Theatre Company all hoped to gain more traction among Coe students.
“I’m excited for this wonderful opportunity for us to speak with students interested in a career in criminal justice,” said Cedar Rapids Police Officer Shannon Aguero ’11. “The experience that you receive with a liberal arts education at Coe is invaluable when working with community involvement and policing.”
The 2018 Career and Internship Fair highlighted abundant career opportunities associated with Coe’s metropolitan location. Cedar Rapids offers an abundance of networking, internship and career opportunities for current students and graduates.