Memphis College of Art Announces 2017 Career Fair
February 10, 2017
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Feb. 9, 2017) — Memphis College of Art (MCA) will host its 10th annual Career Fair and Student Showcase on Friday, Feb. 24. More than 30 employers, including ArcherMalmo, AutoZone, Baker & Hill, CLOUD901/Memphis Library, International Paper, National Civil Rights Museum, New Memphis Institute and S2N Design have already committed to attending this year’s event; few slots remain for additional employers to participate. The event is different from other career fairs in that students host stations in the Rust Hall Main Gallery, and employers will receive a resume book to review candidates prior to the event. On the day of the event, employers are invited to tour the college, lunch with faculty and visit with selected students to see their work and talk more about each student’s skills, experience and interests.
”We are always excited to offer employers the unique format which switches the roles of students and employers from a traditional career fair setup,” said Carrie Brooks, Director of Career Development at Memphis College of Art. “Being an art college, we can challenge the norm and employers always remark that this set up is very informative for recruiting creative candidates for opportunities at their business or organization.”
Students attending the event include recent MCA graduates, graduate and undergraduate students, with majors such as Animation, Illustration, Graphic Design, Photography, Sculpture and Painting and Drawing. The event is a valuable tool for both students pursuing employment and employers seeking new hires; in past years, it has led students to obtaining full-time positions at companies including AutoZone, CyberGraphics, International Paper and Little Bird Innovation. Students can also inquire about contract positions and summer internships within each company, and gain experience in presenting their work to working professionals.
The Career Fair is just one of the many ways that MCA is working to enrich students’ education and bolster their professional experience. The college features a cutting-edge curriculum called Professional Practices (P2), which soundly weaves 10 college-wide student learning outcomes throughout each student’s entire curriculum—including professional development services, community engagement, and internship experiences to ensure career readiness upon graduation for a wide range of professional opportunities. Through P2, MCA students learn to think critically, solve problems and use their creative skills in ways dictated by today's modern workplace.
The college also created a unique internship program called Creatives-in-Residence, which connects small, interdisciplinary groups of MCA students with community partners to provide hands-on work experience. Students work on significant projects for the company or organization in a professional setting, such as redesigning a green space to engage a neighborhood/business district, creating designs for branding and collateral materials, advertising and graphic design pieces.
In partnership with Whelan & Associates, MCA has also developed a proprietary assessment tool geared specifically toward artistic career exploration, which is administered to all students and used in academic advising. The Creative Career Path Inventory provides students with a keen understanding of their preferred career inclinations and skills, so they may apply and maximize those skills to ensure personal and professional success.
The deadline for employers to register for the Career Fair is Feb. 17. For more information, or to register as a participating employer, please email Carrie Brooks or call 901-272-5160. More information on MCA student programs may be found at mca.edu.
Photo: Graphic Design student Rashad Worthy discusses his work with an employer at the 2016 Career Fair.
About Memphis College of Art
Memphis College of Art provides a rigorous curriculum in an intimate, diverse community to empower generations of leading artists, designers and educators to flourish professionally and contribute valuable ideas to society. MCA is fully accredited with expert, nationally renowned faculty and grants BFA, MFA, MA in Art Education and MA in Teaching degrees with graduates excelling in various careers across the country and internationally. For more information, visit mca.edu. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/memphiscollegeofart and on Twitter at @memphisart.
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”We are always excited to offer employers the unique format which switches the roles of students and employers from a traditional career fair setup,” said Carrie Brooks, Director of Career Development at Memphis College of Art. “Being an art college, we can challenge the norm and employers always remark that this set up is very informative for recruiting creative candidates for opportunities at their business or organization.”
Students attending the event include recent MCA graduates, graduate and undergraduate students, with majors such as Animation, Illustration, Graphic Design, Photography, Sculpture and Painting and Drawing. The event is a valuable tool for both students pursuing employment and employers seeking new hires; in past years, it has led students to obtaining full-time positions at companies including AutoZone, CyberGraphics, International Paper and Little Bird Innovation. Students can also inquire about contract positions and summer internships within each company, and gain experience in presenting their work to working professionals.
The Career Fair is just one of the many ways that MCA is working to enrich students’ education and bolster their professional experience. The college features a cutting-edge curriculum called Professional Practices (P2), which soundly weaves 10 college-wide student learning outcomes throughout each student’s entire curriculum—including professional development services, community engagement, and internship experiences to ensure career readiness upon graduation for a wide range of professional opportunities. Through P2, MCA students learn to think critically, solve problems and use their creative skills in ways dictated by today's modern workplace.
The college also created a unique internship program called Creatives-in-Residence, which connects small, interdisciplinary groups of MCA students with community partners to provide hands-on work experience. Students work on significant projects for the company or organization in a professional setting, such as redesigning a green space to engage a neighborhood/business district, creating designs for branding and collateral materials, advertising and graphic design pieces.
In partnership with Whelan & Associates, MCA has also developed a proprietary assessment tool geared specifically toward artistic career exploration, which is administered to all students and used in academic advising. The Creative Career Path Inventory provides students with a keen understanding of their preferred career inclinations and skills, so they may apply and maximize those skills to ensure personal and professional success.
The deadline for employers to register for the Career Fair is Feb. 17. For more information, or to register as a participating employer, please email Carrie Brooks or call 901-272-5160. More information on MCA student programs may be found at mca.edu.
Photo: Graphic Design student Rashad Worthy discusses his work with an employer at the 2016 Career Fair.
About Memphis College of Art
Memphis College of Art provides a rigorous curriculum in an intimate, diverse community to empower generations of leading artists, designers and educators to flourish professionally and contribute valuable ideas to society. MCA is fully accredited with expert, nationally renowned faculty and grants BFA, MFA, MA in Art Education and MA in Teaching degrees with graduates excelling in various careers across the country and internationally. For more information, visit mca.edu. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/memphiscollegeofart and on Twitter at @memphisart.
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Contact:
Natalie Fleenor, Communications Coordinator
nfleenor@mca.edu, 901-272-5113
