Career Services hosted its annual Fall Employment and Networking Fair, which brought students from all majors and interests together to explore career opportunities.
The fair took place Oct. 18 in the banquet halls on the second floor of Curtiss Hall from noon to 3 p.m. More than 130 employers attended.
Career Services encouraged students to bring up to 20 copies of their resumes to distribute to various employers, and professional dress attire was required. Free professional headshots were taken for interested students to upload to their LinkedIn online profile, as well.
Interim Director of Career Services Bill Stec helped execute this event and encouraged students to continue attending employment fairs, even if they’ve already been to one.
“The Ford Motor Co. from Detroit (was) in attendance today for the first time in several years,” he said. “You never want to miss out on any opportunity for when companies arrive on our campus. You never know when they will be back because they choose certain schools to recruit from every year.”
Stec said the fair exposed students not only to employers but to the expectations of job interviews and searches.
“Students learned what kind of questions they will be asked from the recruiters, what skills they may need to add on their resume, networking skills and knowledge of companies and what talent needs they are looking for,” he said.
Tom Barnikow, interim associate director of Career Services, said changing technology also changes the way job searches and interviews are done.
“With 99 percent of applications now being submitted online, companies don’t have the ability to meet candidates before they bring them in for an interview anymore,” he said. “The best way to gauge a person’s interpersonal communication skills is by speaking to them in person at an employment fair.”
Barnikow also said people who currently have jobs should take the time to get involved with employment fairs on campus.
“Learning what is available on the open employment market right
now is always beneficial, as it could lead to an opportunity to make more money,” Barnikow said.
Barnikow said he believes that students who attend the fair could discover their career passion and that employment fairs “present rare opportunities to speak directly to hiring managers.”
Computer science freshman Ivy Kowalski said she came to the event because she heard about the fair from her older brother.
“My brother got his full-time job by coming to a job fair a couple years ago,” she said.
Kowalski said she expected the fair to be like a professional interview process with different companies but thought it was more like a meet-and-greet. She said that although she already has a job, she still thought it would be a good idea to attend and meet people.
“I’m not particularly looking for a job … but it’s a good experience to go,” she said.
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