Students across all WSU campuses can attend a virtual career expo from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. Feb. 9 and 12-4 p.m. Feb. 10. 

The event is put on by the Academic Success and Career Center. The center hosts a career expo in both the fall and spring, said Tyler Barstow, ASCC employer relations liaison.

Barstow said the expo is on two different days because students have different schedules and cannot always attend one particular day. They wanted to make sure all students have an opportunity to attend the event. 

There are job opportunities for everyone including internships, part-time and full-time jobs, he said. Most employers will be attending both days of the expo. 

The expo is an opportunity for students to network, interact, job search, internship search and connect with employers, ASCC associate director Amanda Morgan said. 

“We really love to see students at any level connect with employers during the Career Expo, whether it be first-time freshmen or a senior looking for future employment,” she said. 

The event is virtual this year because of COVID-19. A virtual expo is beneficial because WSU students across all systems can attend, Morgan said. 

Barstow said having students from different campuses is a good way to unite the Cougar family. 

The downside to a virtual expo is that there is no physical connection or the ability to detect body language, Morgan said.  

“I think that’s just always going to be something that we’re tackling right now in Covid times, is just losing that face to face opportunity,” she said. “But we really are trying to work around that.”

Students can register for the event on Handshake. Students can also look at the employers that will be present before registering for a specific date, she said. 

Everything will be facilitated via the Handshake platform, so it is a “one-stop-shop” for students, she said. 

Morgan said the students get to choose how they can interact with employers. Options include group sessions and one-to-one sessions. 

“As a student, you get to decide what’s going to be the best fit for you,” she said.

Group sessions are a great opportunity for students to learn more about the industry or a specific company, Morgan said.

One-to-one sessions are for students who want a more personalized interaction with an employer and want to ask certain questions, she said. 

Barstow said interacting with employers helps students build relationships, which can lead to future employment. 

“That’s why we always encourage all students of all years to go,” he said. 

All WSU students are on Handshake, so all they have to do is complete their profile and submit their resume, Morgan said. 

“It’s an important component of their college experience … and so we want to try to make that as easy as possible for them,” she said. 

Students are also able to view jobs that employers have available on Handshake and reviews of other students who have worked there, Barstow said.

Morgan said she recommends students attend the expo prep week, research companies they are interested in and utilize the Academic Success and Career Center. 

The expo prep week will occur the first week of February, she said. 

The events in the expo prep week will range from updating a resume to interview preparation, Morgan said. 

Barstow said a resource that students in Pullman can use to prepare for the expo is the Cougar Closet, a place where students can get free professional clothing. 

Students who use clothes from the Cougar Closet do not have to return the clothes, he said. 

Barstow said students can set up an appointment on Handshake if they would like to come in and look at the clothes.