SC State Career Week & Career Day Extravaganza Sept. 19-23

Informational sessions, seminars, interviews and a career fair will be held in various locations on campus.

“Students are talking and excited about our upcoming in-person Career Week activities and event,” said Joseph Thomas, director of the SC State Career Center. “The purpose is to provide a venue for students to engage with employers and graduate schools and explore a wide variety of internships and full-time employment opportunities.”

Thomas noted that the events will be conducted in person for the first time in two years, and the university will continue to take precautions against COVID-19 during the events.

“We are most excited about the freshman class this year attending the career day extravaganza. They seem to be excited and hungry for change and the possibilities ahead,” Thomas said.

Activities during the week will include:

• AgFirst Bank Monday will be hosted by SC State’s employer of the year, on Monday. AgFirst Farm Credit Bank will provide students with an informational session concerning career opportunities. The kickoff take place from 1-3 p.m. on the second floor of Belcher Hall.
• Toyota Tuesday on Sept. 20 will provide similar informational service sessions through Toyota headquarters employees from Plano, Texas. On Wednesday, Sept. 21, students will be greeted by informational guest speakers during classroom sessions. The event will run from 9:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
• The Career Center Extravaganza will take place Thursday, Sept. 22, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center with more than 60 businesses, industries and school districts on hand. Also, graduate and professional school representatives will be in attendance. Nearly 200 professionals are scheduled to be there.

In addition, during the Career Day Extravaganza on Thursday the Career Center will recognize the following employers for their contributions/donations to students and the center: AgFirst Farm Credit Bank, Toyota and Enterprise.

Friday, Sept. 23, will consist of interviews conducted by Career Week participants.

Located in Belcher Hall 2nd floor Suite 250, the center is available to all students with any major.

The center’s purpose is to create outlets for career opportunities when students graduate. While enrolled at SC State, students can take advantage of the Career Center’s services. The center provides training resources through partnerships and services offered. Developing student skills helps them to be recruited by employers.

Laptop Loaner Service

Inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic, Thomas and his team noticed students were using their phones to complete coursework. They partnered with their top employer AgFirst Farm Credit Bank, which they then provided resources to buy loaner computers for students who did not have one. The Career Center has helped over 100 students since the start of the pandemic, and they continue to do so.

Internship Scholarship Initiative

Several companies partner with the Career Center to provide students with college funding outside of their internship roles. Through these internship opportunities provided by the Career Center partnerships, students are also eligible to be offered scholarships, housing aid, and tuition funding.

The center offers several services inside and outside the office:

Career Counseling

• Resume and cover letter writing

• Job interview preparation (including virtual)

• Business etiquette

• Decision making

• Job search techniques

• Graduate & Professional school info

• Soft skill revision

Career Resource Center

• Seminars & workshops

• Meetings with recruiters

• Job referrals

• Career Fairs

“We saw the need to help our students in a variety of ways. We have evolved into more than just a career center,” Thomas said.

For more information, contact Joseph Thomas at 803-536-8577 or jthoma21@scsu.edu.