Students at Butler Tech’s School of the Arts did more than explore what could come next during the SOA Career Fair. They practiced the professional skills they have been building, made connections with colleges and employers and, for some students, left with new opportunities already taking shape.
Representatives from colleges, universities, arts organizations, employers and the military spent the day meeting with students across Theater, Musical Theater, Recording Arts, Dance and Visual Arts. Students were required to visit at least six representatives, including at least one college, giving them the opportunity to consider both continued education and career pathways.
But simply visiting a table was only part of the experience.
Students were expected to introduce themselves professionally, make eye contact, shake hands and carry on conversations with representatives. They also had to be ready for an unexpected question: Can I hear your elevator pitch?
If a college or employer wanted to know more about a student, they could ask for the pitch at any point, putting students in a real-world situation where they had to confidently communicate who they are, what they do and where they hope to go.
For Recording Arts instructor Mark Becknell, watching students embrace those interactions was one of the most encouraging parts of the day.
“We wondered if some students might be a little intimidated by the career fair or hesitant to jump into those conversations, but that just hasn’t been the case,” Becknell said. “They’ve been completely engaged. They’re introducing themselves, having conversations and using the skills we’ve been working on with them. They really stepped up.”
Performing Arts Instructor Katelyn Quinn also saw students taking ownership of the experience and making the most of opportunities to connect with professionals and college representatives.
For Caspian Gross, a senior in Recording Arts, one of those conversations opened the door to an opportunity he did not know existed.
“What stood out to me during the career fair was talking with the NKU representative and learning so much about their music tech programs that I didn’t know existed before the fair,” Gross said. “Having that deep conversation about everything you learn in that program and how it helps us grow as musicians and build our tech skills really opened up a new door for me.”
Gross said the professional skills students had practiced before the event also gave him confidence once he entered the room.
“Using the skills I’ve been practicing made me feel like I belonged in a room full of people who were more experienced than me,” Gross said. “Without these skills, I don’t think I would’ve been so open to asking questions, talking to employers and really building those connections with not only the employers, but the colleges as well.”
Xander Hodges, a senior in Performing Arts and Production, also pointed to the variety of opportunities available and the chance to make connections that could lead to future experiences.
“I was offered opportunities to reach out and shadow people who work in the field I am interested in,” Hodges said. “It will really allow me to get technological experience that I can take with me to my future career and improve my craft.”
Hodges met with nine different representatives during the event and said having the chance to use their elevator pitch and professional communication skills helped them feel prepared for each interaction.
“I feel I presented myself and SOA well with each interaction,” Hodges said. “I was able to meet nine different people and benefited greatly from each conversation I had.”
Those conversations were already producing tangible outcomes before the career fair was over.
Several students connected with Brimstone Haunt and were hired to work as actors in its Halloween haunted trail. Other students made connections with Wright State University that led to plans for shadow experiences.
Those immediate outcomes illustrate what School of the Arts instructors hoped students would take away from the experience: not simply information, but connections and a better understanding of how the skills they are developing can translate into their next step.
Students met with representatives from organizations and institutions including Miami University, Wright State University, Bowling Green State University, the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music, Northern Kentucky University School of the Arts, Cincinnati State, Sinclair College, Columbus College of Art and Design, ArtsWave, La Comedia, RiversEdge, Brimstone Haunt and others.
Whether their next step leads directly into the workforce, to college or to another opportunity within the arts, students had the chance to see those possibilities up close while practicing the communication and professional skills that will help them get there.
