IMPORTANT N.C. A&T CAREER SERVICES UPDATES

Welcome to the Office of Career Services (OCS). The OCS will continue to operate virtually during the spring semester. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. (ET). The best method of communication is email, as staff will be teleworking. Staff will respond via email or Zoom notification for a phone or video conference. General questions may be emailed to ocs@ncat.edu. To reach a specific staff person visit www.ncat.edu/careerservices and click Career Services Staff for their email address.

EMPLOYER SERVICES

All employer events will be virtual throughout the spring. Aside from interviews, resume critiques, and mock interviews (which can be held during normal business hours), all other employer events should be requested via Handshake for any time from 12 - 2 p.m. or 6 - 8 p.m., as these are the best times for students to engage.

CAREER FAIRS 

All career fairs will be held virtually via the Handshake Virtual Career Fair platform. Employers interested in participating may register via Handshake.

  • Spring 2023 Career Fairs 

    Registration will tentatively open the week of December 5th in Handshake.  

    • NON-STEM Spring Career Fair (In-person) | Wednesday, February 15th 

    • NON-STEM Spring Career Fair (Virtually) | Thursday, February 16th

    • STEM & BUSINESS Spring Career Fair (In-person) | Wednesday, February 22nd 

    • STEM & BUSINESS Spring Career Fair (Virtually) | Thursday, February 23rd 

INTERVIEWS

There will not be any on-campus interviews this spring. However, employers may continue to host virtual interviews on the platform of their choice. All interviews must be requested via Handshake. For virtual interviews, the room/interview location will be noted as “virtual”. Once the student selects an interview time slot and the schedule closes, it will be up to the employer to notify the student(s) of the interview link which will be utilized for the virtual interviews.

JOB OFFER GUIDELINES

For all offers extended during spring recruiting season for summer internships, co-op or full-time employment, employers should allow students until March 1 or a minimum of two weeks from the date of the written offer, whichever is later, for students to accept or decline. The OCS advises recruiters to neither pressure students to accept offers in less time than indicated above, nor attach bonuses that “explode” if the offer is not immediately accepted. For all offers extended during Summer accelerated recruitment, the same guidelines will apply.

According the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), experience shows the best employment decisions for both students and employers are those that are made without pressure and with the greatest amount of information and transparency. Students given sufficient time to attend career fairs, participate in on-campus interviews, and/or complete the interviewing in which they are currently engaged are more likely to make good long-term employment decisions and may be less likely to renege on job acceptances.

BEST PRACTICES

  • Start with Career We will serve as your liaison and maintain a record of your engagement.
  • Post all event requests and jobs in Handshakes which serves as the central location for career This will maximize exposure, minimize the number of individual emails sent to students, faculty and staff, and enable the office to monitor sign-ups to provide assistance where needed.
  • Plan accordingly to allow your request to be approved and promoted no later than 10 business days before the proposed
  • Be open to all classifications whenever possible; cultivate relationships with
  • Create flyers that are pictorial, diverse, and engaging for promotion via social media and plasma
  • Consider creating a “commercial” to promote your organization or job opportunity on social media, especially prior to career Submit all marketing material via email here.
  • Use alumni or recent interns/co-op students (during events) to connect with students; submit student testimonials and pictures of their engagement with your
  • Report hires (i.e., intern/co-op/full or part time) as this will attract other students to your organization:

https://ncat.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ewIqWmWHCjZV9dA

  • VOLUNTEER - if you are interested in volunteering for student professional development activities (such as resume critiques, lunch and learns, mock interviews, panels, workshops, and a variety of other activities) click this link. Please Note: Volunteers are selected on an as-needed

SAVE THE DATES (Academic Calendar)

  • January 10: Classes begin
  • February 1: Spring recruiting season begins for Career Fair Participants
  • February 23: Spring Career Fair (Virtual)
  • February 28: Spring Recruiting Begins for Everyone Else
  • March 7 - 11: Spring Break
  • March 15: Education Career Fair
  • March 29: Mental Health Day
  • April 14: Recruiting Season Ends
  • May 5: Classes End
  • May 9 - 13: Exam Period
  • May 14: Graduation  

KEY OFFICE CONTACTS FOR EMPLOYER ENGAGEMENT

If you have any additional employer engagement questions, concerns, or need assistance increase interview/event attendance, you may reach out to the following individuals based on your needs:

  • Marketta King, Administrative Support Associate (kingm@ncat.edu):
    • Requests for student engagement events (i.e., workshops, meetups, – all currently virtual)
    • Virtual Interview schedules
    • Creating job postings (all types)
    • Handshake account creation or assistance
  • Pamela Basheer, Assistant Director for Experiential Learning (basheerp@ncat.edu):
    • Experiential Assistance: internships, co-op, on-campus student employment job postings and interviews
    • Career opportunities for freshmen, sophomores, and juniors
  • Shantea Gentry, Assistant Director for Employer Relations (sygentry@ncat.edu):
    • Full-time Assistance: job postings and interviews
    • Career opportunities for graduating seniors, recent graduates, masters, and PhD students 
  • Kendra Haywood, Dir. for Career Services / Employer Engagement (kyhaywood@ncat.edu):
    • Alternate assistance for employer engagement needs if you are unable to reach aforementioned staff