Career Fair offers students opportunity to meet prospective employers

The job hunt for college students and recent college graduates can be tiresome, especially in today’s economic climate. In an effort to help, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Career Services office puts on career fairs and other career-related events throughout the fall and spring semesters. Today and Wednesday, Career Services will hold its Spring Career Fair in the Nebraska Union. The fair will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days, with each day specializing in different career fields. On Tuesday, the fair’s focus will reside on business, liberal arts, government and non-profit organizations, with recruiters from those fields attending. On Wednesday, the organizations in attendance will be from the fields of engineering, technology, science and agriculture. In many cases, studies have found that college students find career fairs to be beneficial to their job search. In a nationwide survey of 35,000 students from more than 800 colleges and universities conducted by the National Association of College Employers, 43.1 percent of students found career or job fairs to be “very useful” or “extremely useful,” and 33.9 percent found them to be “somewhat useful.” In a UNL survey, 18.23 percent of students cited career fairs as what helped them find their jobs. The attending organizations range from small companies to large corporations, with companies such as Union Pacific sending recruiters to the UNL career fairs. The cost for a table in the fair is $150 for non-profit organizations and $300 for for-profit companies, giving the organizations a chance to expose themselves to new, young talent. “Employers come to continue their presence on campus,” said Chris Timm, associate director for Career Services, “because they have found employees on campus before.” In total, about 200 employers will make up the fair. They come offering opportunities for jobs, internships and a chance at networking. In a tight job market, students need to take every opportunity, Timm said. “The fairs are a networking opportunity,” Timm said. “But for most students, that’s not the only thing.” Last year’s Spring Career Fair brought out about 1,700 students, with 4,600 students attending career events in the 2008-2009 school year. Many students come out of the fair with a chance at interviews for job opportunities. Kristen Seda, a junior accounting and finance major who now works as an intern in the Career Services office, gained a job offer through a past career fair. But even those who do not receive job offers can use the fair as a networking opportunity. “Even if students don’t emerge with a job offer,” Seda said, “they’ve still had the opportunity for networking and building a relationship with recruiters.” With the number of students attending career fairs, though, success is best found when students come prepared. To be successful, students need to find a way to set themselves apart, Seda said. “A good way to stand out at a fair is by researching the companies beforehand,” she said. “And following up makes a huge difference.” “But,” she said, “you’ll get out of (the fair) what you put in to (the fair).” AndrewLundeen@dailynebraskan.com Full story