On March 24, 2015 from 4pm to 7pm, UNLV students will have the opportunity to meet and interview with the top local technology companies in Las Vegas at the first annual Jump Start Vegas Tech presented by UNLV Career Services. This event is for current UNLV students and alumni who have a strong interest working in the fields of computer science, computer engineering, information systems or technology. The event is free for current UNLV students and alumni.
At the event, organizers say UNLV students will have the opportunity to learn tips on resumes and technical skills from tech companies in Las Vegas, network with founders of the companies, and potentially receive an on-the-spot interview.
UNLV Career Services is the centralized career center for all 28,000+ students who attend UNLV.
“We have three full-time staff and four career counselors available to assist students and alumni with their career plans,” explained Peter Rinto, Career Counselor. “Our office services all undergraduate students, graduate students, and alumni. Our services range from resume building, cover letters, mock interviews, career counseling, graduate school preparation, networking, and negotiation.”
The team at UNLV Career Services says UNLV serves a unique population of students.
“We have a high proportion of students working and attending school full-time. Most of the positions our students have are in retail or hospitality, so as they graduate the biggest challenge is finding the right position in the field of their major,” said Mark Gu, Internship Coordinator. “We are often told that this is due to a mismatch of skills. We want to help facilitate the training and coaching opportunities for our students and alumni, so they are even more competitive in today’s job market.”
The team says they are finding the Vegas Tech community, and other local industries, are proactive about giving back to the community. They see students enjoy any opportunity they are given to connect with local businesses.
“We’ve had a lot of interest from both employers and students about hosting an event specifically for the tech related industry,” said Raelynn Frazier Lee, Director Career Services at UNLV. “We designed Jump Start Vegas Tech to ensure that we were meeting the needs of students, alumni, and employers. This is the first time that we have done this event and hope that we can turn this into an annual event.”
“We would be absolutely thrilled if the Vegas Tech community has a big presence in our first ever Jump Start Vegas Tech event,” she continued. “We have all worked very hard to go against the mold of a traditional career fair by offering both employers and students a unique opportunity to find the perfect fit and the opportunity to network. We will have 4 educational stations where we would like employers to coach our tech students on resumes for tech positions, types of skills these students should work on learning or improving, technical interviews, and cultural fit. During the event, we will run mini-tech challenges for students to solve tech problems to earn a reward (the reward could be a guaranteed interview with your company). We also encourage employers to offer interviews right on the spot (or schedule one the next day in our Career Services office) to secure the best talent. This adds extra motivation and incentive for everyone to come prepared and display their talents.”
The organizers of Jump Start Vegas Tech are looking for volunteers to help host educational stations for the job seekers going through this event. The cost for employers to attend is $400, or $200 if the company has already registered for the Spring Career Fair. Space is limited and the team can only accommodate a limited number of employers. Information for company signup can be found here.
As an ongoing way to get involved, the team says they are looking for volunteers to help coach and mentor students as they develop and become ready for the workforce.
“We want to make sure they have the right skills and abilities to be competitive in today’s job market, so any opportunity for training, coaching, or mentorship is definitely helpful,” said Raelynn Frazier Lee. “We are very excited to put on this event as it not only fulfills a much needed niche, but also an opportunity for us to mold and cultivate students to launch their careers here in Las Vegas. Career Services is committed to supporting this process and we want to let our students and alumni know that they can find and grow their careers in Las Vegas after graduation.”
