Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Job-seeking students and potential employers will mingle at the University of North Carolina Wilmington's second annual Connect 2011 networking event 6 - 8 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 26 in the Burney Center. A different kind of job fair, the innovative event will unite nearly 150 students and employers to help them build business relationships and develop job opportunities during tough economic times.

The event was developed by counselors in the UNCW Career Center who found that a decreasing number of recruiters are attending and hiring at job fairs due to the struggling economy. Geared towards seniors, graduate students and alumni, the Connect meet-and-greet event was developed to supplement traditional job fairs with an opportunity for networking.

"The number one way to get a job is through networking," said Leslie Wright, assistant director of the Career Center. "The overall goal of the event is not to guarantee a job, but to make connections with possible employers for follow up down the road."

More than 20 employers will be in attendance including Castle Branch, Bloomberg Global Data and Target.

Students attended workshops on networking etiquette and professional communication in the weeks prior to the event. Dress for the event is professional. Students have been instructed to not bring resumes, but business cards are appropriate.

Registration is required for attendees and employers: http://uncw.edu/stuaff/career/connect.htm. Media are invited to cover this story by request.

Media contact:
Joy Davis, UNCW media relations, 910.632.3903 or davisjc@uncw.edu