Viz Industry Fair Brings Networking Opportunities To Visualization Students
Visualization students can network with industry leaders by participating in the annual student-run Viz Industry Fair, hosted by the College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts.
The in-person career fair will be Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Memorial Student Center, Room 2406. A virtual version will be held Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Discord. Registration forms, Discord information and the full schedule can be found on the Viz Industry Fair website.
Mayet Andreassen, faculty lead liaison for the Viz Industry Fair committee and associate program director for the Bachelor of Science degree in Visualization, said the students “have worked incredibly hard” to plan the event. She said she is looking forward to industry leaders interacting with students.
“I hope they see how talented our students are and set up some interviews with students,” she said. “I hope they ultimately hire some of our students and spread the word.”
Students participated in mock interviews, professionalism workshops and portfolio reviews by professionals and professors in the program to prepare for the fair.
Companies participating in-person or on Discord include Netflix Feature Animation, Amazon, Framestore, AEM Creations, Electronic Arts and Deloitte. Andreassen said students should review the list of companies attending beforehand and research their focus areas.
“Have a game plan of who you would like to speak with and what you want to speak with them about,” she said. “Make sure to be prepared with resumes and portfolio websites a couple of days in advance.”
Marisa Jacques, a second-year Master of Science student in Visualization and outreach lead for the Viz Industry Fair committee, said about 300 students participated in last year’s fair. She said this event is ideal for students to practice their networking skills.
“This can be really nerve-wracking at first for a lot of students,” Jacques said. “Speaking to industry representatives can be intimidating. But the more they practice, the better they will be. Viz Industry Fair is invaluable to get the chance to work on that.”
Jacques said some companies may be looking for potential employees to hire, so students should present themselves professionally and have their business cards, resumes and portfolios on hand. She also wants students to feel encouraged to network and have fun.
“I love seeing students make strong connections with their peers,” she said. “At the end of the day, we want them to walk away with jobs, but also enjoy the experience of putting themselves out there.”
To register, visit the Viz Industry Fair website.
Viz Industry Fair 2024 photo by Mathew Baughman, Texas A&M University Division of Marketing and Communications
