Despite the continuing negative publicity hovering around the future of the textile industry, the 2005 Job Forum hosted more than 30 companies during the September kick-off event for job placement in the College of Textiles.

Held on September 8^th and 9^th , 2005, the Annual Textile Job Forum was designed to assist all Textile students identify prospective employers and meet industry representatives. This the only career fair for the College of Textiles each year.

 

The event began with information sessions for industry participants that covered everything from changes in the College's degree programs to the 2004-2005 placement statistics. The numbers for 2004-2005 were impressive despite the media gloom of the industry with 98% being placed by September 1, 2005 with an average starting salary of $40,957. The next official portion of the first day of the event was the actual open forum. Thirty-two companies set-up displays throughout the lower and upper levels of the W. Duke Kimbrell Atrium in anticipation of curious students due to arrive. Estimated at over 300 in attendance, Textile students filled the floor space and crowded around tables eagerly searching for information about companies, locations, future interviews and employment opportunities.

At the end of the day, most representatives, tired from standing and talking all afternoon, packed up and returned to their hotel rooms to prepare for the annual Graduates Dinner, but not before scheduling job interviews through Student Services.

Following the open career fair, all graduating seniors and student leaders "cleaned-up" for the annual Job Forum social and dinner at the Holiday Inn-Brownstone. The social, sponsored by the Tompkins Textile Student Council (TTSC), and dinner provided a more formal environment for students and company representatives to meet and discuss employment opportunities.

The second day of the Forum held the annual "Floopy" Dunlap Golf Tournament at The Neuse Golf Club in Clayton, NC. This tournament puts students, faculty and industry together on four-person teams for an afternoon of fun and informal networking.

 

For industry and students alike, the Job Forum was the first step in the long season of interviews, plant trips, offers, and yes, even a few of the infamous "flush" letters.

In some ways, this Job Forum & Career Fair represented a new era for career services at the College of Textiles. The thirty-two companies participating was the largest industry showing post 9/11. Furthermore, the mix of companies attending provides a clear picture of new trends for Textile students and alumni. Yes, a few of the traditional textile companies were present, such as Milliken & Company (the largest employer of COT students in the past eight years), Unifi, and Frontier Spinning, but more than half of the participating companies were first-time attendees. Among these new companies were Abercrombie & Fitch, Select Comfort, Medtronic-Vascular, GE-Advanced Materials & Levolor-Kirsch. Overall, the 2005 Job Forum & Career Fair was a great success.

If your company missed this year’s event, mark your calendar for September 7-8, 2006, and plan to participate next year. Furthermore, if your company has staffing needs for internships, entry-level permanent hires or experienced alumni this year, please contact Kent Hester, director of student & career services, at kent_hester@ncsu.edu or 919-515-6530 to gain access to the largest and most qualified pool of technically-educated Textile students and alumni in the country. Go Wolfpack!

College of Textiles
P.O. Box 8301
Raleigh, NC 27695-8301
Telephone: (919) 515-6646
FAX: (919) 515-3733
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Last Site Revision:
September 15, 2005