By Jordan Beach
Luke Williams ’18 representing Chick-fil-A at a 2018 Workforce Wednesday.
Most days, Reinhardt University’s Hill Freeman Library is a quiet place for students to work on projects and assignments, but one Wednesday a month, Karen Mathews, director of Vocation and Career Services transforms the third floor into a career fair.
Through the time she spends making connections between soon-to-be graduates and potential employers, Mathews identified a need for students who are unable to attend career events off campus. Mathews created Workforce Wednesday as an easily-accessible event that brings recruiters from local companies to Reinhardt.
“Bringing the employers to the students allows students with limited schedules and/or transportation to make these connections,” said Mathews. “Often students are just so busy, but they will engage if the opportunity is brought to them.”
Workforce Wednesday is conducive for busy students working hard to build their resumes, allowing them to present those resumes to recruiters even with tight schedules. Students who attend the monthly event can learn more about local opportunities in the community—even if they’re on their way to class—from internships to part time and full-time positions.
Mathews noted the challenge when assisting students with finding jobs is helping them “understand the importance of owning responsibility for their career opportunities.” She suggests that, even if a student is not interested in a particular company, to still take a moment to speak with recruiters to gain valuable information about the workplace.
“There is more to a job than what is on the surface,” said Mathews. “Recruiters will help you explore the opportunity for entry level positions, career pathways for advancement, training and development, relocation options, benefits and more.”
The next Workforce Wednesday will be “on the road” with employers meeting students in the Lawson academic building at 10 a.m.-12 p.m. on Feb. 20 and will include recruiters from Aflac, Five Star Food Service, I9 Sports and Stellaris.
The March 20 Workforce Wednesday will include Aflac, Waffle House, Goshen Valley, Five Star Food Service and Stellaris. The event scheduled for April 17 will include Aflac, Five Star Food Service, Auto Owners Insurance and Stellaris. Both these events will be held in the Hill Freeman Library at 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
For any questions about Workforce Wednesday or career guidance, contact Karen Mathews at KWM@Reinhardt.edu or 770-720-5548.
