Suits, Ties, and Internship Cries: DSU’s Spring Career Fair.
The Dakota Prairie Playhouse was crowded with polished shoes, firm handshakes, and a hint of nervous excitement on 19th February as DSU students swapped their backpacks for briefcases at the 2025 Career and Internship fair. A smell of ambition hung in the air as students made their way through rows of employer booths, resumes in one hand like they were holding golden tickets and freebies collected from tables on the other hand.
Before the main event, the Career and Professional Development Center hosted “Resume Rave Week” and “Mock Interview Session” where DSU students could directly make an appointment with experts from different companies such as Sanford Health, Premiere Bankcard and Infotech Solutions to review their resume and practice their interviewing skills. The Career center also provided free resume papers and options for professional attire before the internship fair.
The Big Day: Employers, Energy, and Enough Free Pens and Diaries to Supply a Small Nation
Over 40 employers set up booth tables, from local companies like Avera Health to niche companies like Silencer Central. Some noteworthy attendees were Carsforsale.com (hunting for tech talent to “drive innovation” (pun intended) and South Dakota Game, Fish & Parks (offering jobs for those who’d rather track elk than Excel sheets.) Daktronics showcased their signature flair for flashy displays – literally. Their stadium scoreboards have more pixels than a comp sci major’s GitHub, again literally.
The fair had special brand of student energy: part optimism, part “what am I doing here?” Seniors marched in like they’d rehearsed this moment in front of a mirror, armed with resumes. Underclassmen, on the other hand, hovered near the snack tables like moths near fluorescent lamps. One student accidentally asked a recruiter, “So, what does your company… do?” (We’ve all been there.). I heard one student mumble, “Do I need a LinkedIn if I don’t even know what I’m having for dinner tonight?” (Fair question and that could be me.) And most of them were like, “I don’t know what half these companies do, but I’m taking their free pens and freebies anyway.”
By the end of the day, the event carried blend of exhaustion and enthusiasm. Some students left with job leads, and everyone with at least one awkward handshake story to tell. Beyond the freebies, the career fair underscored DSU’s commitment to connecting academic learning with professional pathways. The Career Center gave students floaties (resume workshops, mock interviews). For employers, it was a chance to scout fresh talent without sifting through 500 emails. Whether attendees secured job offers or simply expanded their professional connections, the event showcased and reinforced DSU’s role in fostering career and profesional development.
Missed the fair? The Career and Professional Development Center’s door are still open for any sort of professional help.
