Career fair for Psychology and Health Promotion majors

The elevator at Williams Stadium transported students three floors up from a football field to a professionally-styled conference room.

Walking through the open doors, students — both online and residential — received a friendly welcome from the Career Center staff to the first career fair dedicated to psychology and health promotions majors Tuesday, March 19 from 1-4 p.m.

Courtney Tate, employer relations coordinator for Liberty University, said that she had collected 17 employers to network with students at the career fair.

“There were 68 people that registered, but we have had at least 150 students come through the door,” Tate said.

Businesses such as Horizon Behavior Health Care, MedExpress Urgent Care, Oceanfront Counseling, Tanzar Chiropractic and the United States Air Force spent the afternoon with psychology and health promotions majors to share advice along with information on job and internship opportunities.

“It is really nice to see all of the different opportunities,” Liberty sophomore Peach Tangsirisatian said. “I’m just looking ahead.”

According to Tate, the Career Center has hosted several Career Fairs since Sept. 2012.

Career Counselor Michele Worley said that these events are great to help students connect with employers and network before they leave Liberty and get out on their own.

Some businesses use the career fair as an opportunity to display what their company does.

Rose Pruitt from Tazar Chiropractic advertised free nervous system scans. She invited students to sit in front of the computer while she handled the scanner. A roll up the back of the neck, and two beeps later, a visual of the spine showed up on the screen. The green lights pointed out normal spots, while the red lights showed where the tension was located.

“Good luck with your future and your today,” Pruitt said as students walked away from her display booth.

Katie Gilligan graduated in 2011 with a psychology degree and said that she came to the career fair to search for better job opportunities and develop networking skills.

“I really liked the amount of counseling agencies that were there. I was surprised. The (employers) were welcoming and friendly,” Gilligan said. “One of the counseling agencies, Horizon Behavioral Health Care, had a spokesman who was very straightforward and was available for setting up meetings with students. I wish someone would have done that when I was a student going through undergrad.”

Employers were also available to speak with students about specific positions or jobs in general.

“I got some information for down the road and some for now about internship possibilities and jobs that do not require a lot of experience,” Gilligan said. “Going to the career fair is a good experience to get your feet wet.”