Fischer Homes Career Builder Day exposes College of Communication and Information students to industry opportunities

OneUK partner Fischer Homes visited the University of Kentucky on Feb. 12 for its second Career Builder Day, offering students a firsthand look at career opportunities. The Northern Kentucky-based homebuilder, known for its philosophy of “Hire the talent, train the skills,” aims to increase the hiring of UK students for internships, co-ops, and full-time positions. Career Builder Day is one way UK is collaborating with Fischer Homes to achieve that goal.

The event featured classroom visits, faculty meetings, and a networking and information session open to all students. One of the classrooms Fischer Homes visited was the College of Communication and Information’s Career Readiness class, led by Brooke Nowicki. The class, which includes students from all majors and grade levels within the college, provided Fischer Homes with access to a diverse talent pool.

“We do have some students that continue to pursue academia, but a lot of our students go directly from their undergraduate degrees into an industry position,” Nowicki said. “It’s always wonderful to expose them to as much industry as possible so that they’re able to make educated decisions not only with their internships but also with their future career.”

During the class visit, students learned about careers at Fischer Homes, gaining insight into what it would be like to work for the company. At the same time, Fischer Homes representatives had the opportunity to see the talent emerging from the college and why these students make strong candidates for employment.

“The strength of our students is that they get a diverse and very applicable education,” Nowicki said. “Theory is amazing, but I think that CI does a great job of meeting theory where it can be utilized in the industry. Our students are such strong communicators and great at engaging with the consumer and identifying a target audience.”

After the classroom visit, students were invited to attend the networking and information session later that day to meet with Fischer Homes representatives and explore opportunities further. Nowicki shared the success story of one student who particularly benefited from the experience.

Before the event, she advised a sophomore with a background in construction to pay close attention to the presentation and attend the networking session.

“Not only did he do that—he also went to the networking event. I talked him into going to the All Majors Career Fair because Fischer Homes was going to be there,” Nowicki said.

Before Career Builder Day, the student had never heard of Fischer Homes. By the end of the day, he not only knew about the company but was excited about the possibility of working there after graduation.

“This is exactly why I want [students] to be exposed and get in front of [industry],” Nowicki said. “I’m so excited that they want to engage with our students because if you have one student—even if you talk to 40 students that day—he could be a lifelong employee at that company now because they spoke with him.”

Career Builder Day provided students with direct exposure to industry professionals, giving them a clearer understanding of potential career paths and the skills employers value. At the same time, Fischer Homes engaged with a wide-ranging group of UK students, recognizing the depth of talent and expertise throughout the university.