Arkansas State University hosted the sales, marketing, communications and hospitality career expo at the Johnny Allison Tower Tuesday. 

Participating companies were selected through broad regional outreach efforts, with many new logistics firms participating this year.

Elizabeth White, assistant director for career development and student engagement, said she wanted the fair to build on the success of previous years.

“The goal was to hopefully get a little more variety for our students in these different industry fields, and I think we did that by getting more logistics and different groups like that so that our students have more opportunities,” White said.

White said it is important for students to prepare and have confidence when they attend expos.

Caroline Hughes, a sophomore sports management major from Jonesboro, said she attended the event to learn about the A-State athletic department and sports marketing. 

As a student athlete, Hughes said she is exploring career opportunities in the athletic industry. She said the event helped her make connections and gain insight into potential job roles, particularly in marketing.

“Just making more connections and meeting people in the athletic department who can help me find a job in the future will be very beneficial,” Hughes said.

Hughes said the St. Jude table taught her how to use her platform to promote sporting tournaments for companies.

Representatives from Applied Technology Group (ATG), Karina Van Bryant and David Gray, HR recruiting business partners, tabled at the expo. 

ATG, a solutions provider in the AEC industry, offers software, hardware and technical services.

Gray said the company aims to more than double in size over the next three to five years, creating opportunities for additional staff. 

Brett Long, sales development manager, also hosted a table at the expo. They said the company offers a pre-sales internship program, which focuses on developing leads for sales representatives through statewide campaigns. 

K8, which sponsored the fair to recruit qualified candidates and interns, also held a table. The company offers paid internships for college students interested in the media and communications field.

Grant Newkirk, promotions manager at K8, said the company is always looking for new talent to join the team.

“We came out here looking not only for people who are qualified to apply for our open positions, but we have internships available as well,” Newkirk said. “Those internships are paid, and we’re looking for college students who are willing, able and eager to learn about our career field and get connected with us.”

Newkirk said his communication degree from A-State remains valuable, even as technology has changed significantly over time. 

“I started in 2006, but the technology that I learned back then has completely changed. It’s outdated, but the foundational knowledge I learned of mass communication and the basis of reaching people who watch TV and listen to radio has carried over,” Newkirk said. “We’re still looking for those types of skills.”

White said she was pleased with the career expo.

“Our biggest thing is figuring out how to reach students better and that’s something we really focused on this time,” White said. “We reached out more to faculty and staff to get information to students, and we’ve even learned some things this semester that we’ll use to improve next semester.”

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