Students, Recruiters Map Out Their Futures Together at Career Fair

10th Annual Missouri Journalism Strategic Communication Career Fair

The Strategic Communication Career Fair Drew More than 115 Recruiters from 51 Companies

By Alexis Schaefer, Julia Brun, Miranda Lee and Marta Witko

MOJO Ad Team Option 7
MOJO Ad Team Option 7 decorates the sidewalk in front of the Reynolds Journalism Institute.

Columbia, Mo. (Feb. 24, 2017) — The 10th annual Strategic Communication Career Fair – the largest in its history – drew more than 115 recruiters and 51 companies from around the country to connect more than 350 Missouri School of Journalism students to their dream jobs or internships.

The size of the event required using all space on the second floor of the Reynolds Alumni Center on the University of Missouri campus to accommodate the crowd. Both new and returning recruiters enjoyed getting to know strategic communication students at this expanded venue.

MOJO Ad Team Option 7
MOJO Ad Team Option 7, responsible for creating the career fair campaign and promotional materials, drops the pin in the lobby of the Reynolds Alumni Center.

“General Motors is committed to finding the most talented students and bringing them to Detroit to be part of our winning communications team,” said Dan Pierce, BJ ’99, senior manager at General Motors in Detroit. “Attending the 2017 MU Strategic Communication Career Fair provided us with access to best and brightest students at one of the world’s most prestigious journalism schools.”

A presentation during the recruiter luncheon highlighted the School’s hands-on learning approach known as the “Missouri Method.” Recruiters were impressed with students’ professional experience while still in the classroom.

“I was extremely impressed by the caliber of students that I met, as well as the strategic communication program itself. I have heard much about the program over the years and now, after a visit myself, I can truly appreciate how hard the students work and their on-the-job advertising experience throughout their senior year,” said Amie Goettig, senior recruiter from Colle+McVoy and Exponent PR in Minneapolis. “I am eager to advocate for them. Students from Mizzou will certainly rise to the top of the pile of consideration for employment post-graduation.”

MOJO Ad Team Option 7
A view of the scene at the 2017 Strategic Communication Career Fair at the Reynolds Alumni Center on Thursday, Feb. 9.

First-time visitors included the largest exporter of California wines, E. and J. Gallo in Oklahoma City; experiential marketing agency Fusion Marketing in St. Louis; multinational corporation General Motors in Detroit; and public relations agency Zeno Group in New York. These joined career fair veterans, including public relations firms such as Carmichael Lynch Relate in Minneapolis and FleishmanHillard in St. Louis; traditional advertising agencies such as Cramer Krasselt in Chicago, VML in Kansas City, and Crispin Porter + Bogusky in Boulder, Colorado; and Fortune Global 500 company ExxonMobil in Dallas.

The evening before the career fair, students and recruiters connected at the Meet and Greet, a relaxed, casual networking event. More than 100 students gathered for the opportunity to ask recruiters questions ranging from company culture to their favorite after-work destination.

Danny Rosenberg, a junior studying strategic communication, found both events were great opportunities to network with agencies and practice his interviewing skills.

“The career fair might feel intimidating at first, but going to the Meet and Greet helped calm my nerves,” he said. “The next day I confidently continued a conversation with a recruiter I met the night before.”

MOJO Ad, the premier student-staffed, professional-services advertising agency within the Missouri School of Journalism, hosts the Career Fair each year. The staff activate an integrated campaign to support the event including a website, direct mail, collateral and social media. MOJO Ad public relations account executives plan and execute every detail from online registration forms to space planning.

“As students ourselves, we knew that this journey might be a nerve-wracking experience for our peers. Because we understood our audience, we thoughtfully mapped out each tactic and event to ensure everybody felt like a somebody,” said Alexis Schaefer, MOJO Ad’s public relations and career fair manager.

The 2017 Strategic Communication Career Fair was entirely planned, promoted and executed by MOJO Ad, the premier student-staffed professional-services advertising agency in the country specializing in the youth and young adult (YAYA) market. For more information about the Strategic Communication Career Fair, visit www.mojo-ad.com.

2017 Strategic Communication Career Fair Roster

  • Bernstein-Rein
  • Boxing Clever
  • Brado Creative Insight
  • Cannonball Advertising
  • Carmichael Lynch and Carmichael Lynch Relate
  • Chicago Portfolio School
  • CityArchRiver Foundation
  • Coegi
  • Colle + McVoy and Exponent PR
  • Common Ground Public Relations
  • Cramer-Krasselt
  • Crispin Porter + Bogusky
  • Design Ranch
  • Division-D
  • E. and J. Gallo Winery
  • Egg Strategy
  • ExxonMobil
  • FleishmanHillard
  • FTI Consulting
  • Fusion Marketing
  • General Motors
  • GlynnDevins
  • H&L Partners
  • HLK
  • Influence and Co.
  • Intouch Solutions
  • JES Holdings
  • The Marketing Arm
  • Meers Advertising
  • Momentum Worldwide
  • Moosylvania
  • MU Crosby MBA Program
  • New Honor Society
  • Noble Communications
  • Osborn Barr
  • PartnerComm
  • Pointworks Academy
  • The Richards Group
  • Second Street
  • Slingshot LLC
  • Starcom Mediavest Group
  • Sullivan Higdon and Sink
  • TPN
  • TracyLocke
  • Trozzolo Communications Group
  • True Media
  • Veterans United Home Loans
  • VML
  • We Are Alexander
  • Zeno Group

Updated: October 13, 2020

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