WVU Career Fair (n): a loud, lively room with hundreds of students all dressed to impress potential employers and secure their dream jobs.
That might not be the definition for Merriam-Webster, but it is for Mary-Kathrine Morris, a West Virginia native and Management Information Systems major in the Chambers College.
In 2021, Morris stepped into her first career fair, not to network, but because she was required to attend for her BCOR 199 class. To prepare, she spent hours practicing her elevator pitch in her in front of the mirror.
“It's kind of silly, but it was more so just getting more comfortable and finding the right things to list off,” said Morris.
Morris also created a LinkedIn and perfected her resume with the Center of Career Development.
That preparation wasn’t for nothing. While walking around the fair, Morris saw the Deloitte booth and decided to try her elevator pitch on their recruiter.
Morris’s interaction with the Deloitte recruiter was so positive that she decided to investigate the company thoroughly after the fair, only to find out about their Strategy Summer Scholar Program – an internship only open to juniors and seniors.
Morris knew that when the time came, she would apply for the opportunity. So, after two years of academic growth, career fairs, coffee chats and Deloitte-sponsored expos, Morris submitted her application.
“I actually had to apply before the junior year career fair, but I still went and saw them. At that point, I hadn't known if I'd gotten an interview yet or not,” said Morris.
Her hard work paid off. Not only did she get the interview, but she also got the internship. In 2024, Morris spent her time as a government public services consulting summer scholar in Rosslyn, Virginia.
“Being in an environment like that really allowed me to come out of my shell and understand the way that I can expand even more,” said Morris.
It was a long process, but it all worked out. When she graduates, Morris will join Deloitte as a solutions engineering analyst.
“I'm so glad that I was made to go to career fairs, because I don't know if I would have had the confidence to do that myself. I'm so glad that I started going my very first semester,” said Morris.
Morris is just one of many success stories that have come from students who attended the career fair. That’s why she strongly encourages students to “just go out and do it, because it'll prepare you and give you a set of tools that you can use in the forthcoming years.”
-WVU-
Emma Higgins 2/5/25
MEDIA CONTACT:
Andrew Marvin
Senior Communications Specialist
John Chambers College of Business and Economics
andrew.marvin@mail.wvu.edu
