The JOMC EXPO, a career fair for journalism and mass communication majors, gave students the opportunity to interview with local broadcasting companies searching for prospective interns and employees. The career fair was held in the Exhibit Hall of the Student Union, on Monday.  While at the fair, students were able to get their resumes critiqued and enhanced by A&T alumnae and News & Record staff writer Tiffany S. Jones. Jones also has experience writing for The Grape Vine, The Jackson (Tenn.) Sun, and  Burlington Times-News.Jones began her studies as a broadcast news major and then changed to print journalism. “Journalism involves asking questions, and regurgitating facts in a creative way. You have a skeleton, which is a guideline for you to follow,” Jones said. “Writing is solely creativity, there are no constraints. “There are opportunities to be creative in journalism, don’t get me wrong. But, you do have to follow certain guidelines,” she explained. Jones also spoke to students about what information to include in their resumes and cover letters. She suggested that students include relevant information in their resumes aimed for the job they are applying for, and to place unrelated information in the cover letter, to give employers more information about other skills. “I wish more students would get involved with the Career Services. Many students need help preparing resumes and prepping for interviews. Some need assistance and guidance for appropriate dress code, and professional procedures,” Jones said. She went on to describe her personal appearance during the time she was launching her career. “I had a relaxer coming in, now I have locks. I made changes to my appearance to fit my personality once I had the job, and was secured with my position. People have to be able to adjust, believe it or not,” Jones said. Travis Lane, a senior mass communication major with a concentration in broadcasting, spent time interviewing with several companies at the career fair. “I want to edit coverage for new stations, and small companies. Then I would like to even go as far as editing movies and films,” Lane said. Lane started college as an undecided major. ” I watched a lot of ESPN, and movies. I was very fascinated with how they edited their production films and recordings,” he said. During his sophomore year, he chose journalism and mass communications. ” At first I just made a decision so that I would have a major,” he said. Lane said he helped a friend create a personal hip-hop video, and the editing of that project further convinced him to pursue his degree in broadcast journalism.Lane interviewed with companies TV13 Greensboro, and the Gospel Station TCT during the career fair. Jasmine Wood, a sophomore journalism and mass communication major with a concentration in public relations, said she plans to focus on the fashion industry and become a publicists for an eminent designer once she is done servicing in the military. “This is my first JOMC fair. The fair was very informative. I learned a lot from this experience,” Wood said. ” I see a lot of areas in which I can improve. I feel like I am ahead of the game. I was one of the few sophomores to attend the fair.” Wood said she created her own blog site, in which she uploads her articles and documents. She displayed material from her blog to potential employers. Her portfolio consists of stories, question-and-answer articles, and slideshows of events she attended and reported on campus. “My blog’s purposes are to educate and make people aware of activities taking place on campus. It also allows people to enjoy my work, and give me suggestions or appraisals,” she said. As the JOMC department continues to grow, it hopes to organize bigger fairs. The department hopes to hold another career fair in the Spring. In the meantime, students can visit the Office of Career Services in 101 Murphy Hall, Jones suggested. “I encourage people to go to OCS, use your resources.”

• Nisha Streeter