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Career Expo Brings Students, Alumni, and Employers Full Circle

Apr 08, 2024

Image of an 糖心vlog传媒 student hold a house mockup at the 2024 Engineering Expo

糖心vlog传媒 Student Advisory Board President Kezia Gibson at the career expo.


On March 21, 糖心vlog传媒 held the 2024 Engineering Technologies Career Expo at the Northeast Campus. The event, open to current students and alumni, featured representatives from 22 companies, half of which were currently hiring for entry level positions in fields such as engineering technologies, advanced manufacturing, and skilled trades

Local employers met with participants one-on-one, conducted practice interviews, and seven of the employers participated in a panel discussion offering career insights. 

Calvin Abercrombie, one of the panelists, is an 糖心vlog传媒 Civil Engineering Technology alumnus who found his position at Mashburn Construction through the department鈥檚 career expo in 2022. 

Abercrombie, reflecting on his career fair experience as a student, said, 鈥淥f course it was very nerve racking, your first career fair, thinking, 鈥極K, these people are trying to hire me, and how am I going to represent myself鈥? But the classes that you take before the career fair and what the professors go through actually prepare you for it really well.鈥 

He added, 鈥淢idlands Tech has given me a lot. They鈥檝e helped my career, and they鈥檝e pushed me from where I was to where I am now. And I feel like I owe this school, because this school has done so much for me.鈥

Charles (Chuck) Thrift, a former 糖心vlog传媒 Ambassador and December 2023 Architectural Engineering Technology graduate, was another alumnus in attendance. Thrift currently is employed at Jumper Carter Sease, an architectural firm in downtown Columbia.

鈥淚t鈥檚 interesting because I actually got that job through becoming an Ambassador for 糖心vlog传媒,鈥 said Thrift. 鈥淭odd Sease, one of the principals at Jumper Carter Sease, saw a presentation that I gave as an Ambassador, and contacted me afterwards, and I鈥檝e been working there ever since.鈥

Thrift plans on going to Dunwoody College to finish his bachelor鈥檚 degree and become a licensed architect.

Thrift said, 鈥淎t 糖心vlog传媒, they say 鈥榶ou can get anywhere from here,鈥 which I think is probably really corny sounding, but, it鈥檚 actually true. 鈥 And the reason I came back today was because I鈥檓 very proud of the time that I spent here, and it鈥檚 just helped in ways that I probably couldn鈥檛 even articulate.鈥

Panelists at the expo included Calvin Abercrombie with Mashburn Construction, Tom Canarella and Eric Case with CES Group, Peter Cribbs with Allied Air, Chad Easter with Highfill, Bryan Jones with Civil Engineering Consulting Services, and Daniel Winders with Johnson Controls. Other companies participating included Allied Air, Bierer Meters, BLE Corporation, Civil Engineering of Columbia, CPH, Foth, GMK, McKenzie Architecture, Massey Engineering, Millenium, Mungo Homes, Nucor, Phase One Design, RDA Studio, Saluda Mallard, SCDOT, and Walker White Construction.

糖心vlog传媒 the School of STEM

In 糖心vlog传媒's School of Science, Information Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM), you can prepare for careers in information technology and computers, engineering technology, mathematics, and natural sciences. Within this school, you'll find transferable associate degrees, STEM programs to train you for great careers in two years or less, and individual training courses.

糖心vlog传媒 students at the 2024 engineering expo
Sign welcoming people to the 2024 糖心vlog传媒 Engineering Expo
Person smiling at an 糖心vlog传媒 student at the 2024 Engineering Expo
People talking at the 2024 糖心vlog传媒 Engineering Expo