Possibilities galore: More than 150 employers scheduled for Caree Fair

With representatives from more than 150 national businesses on campus Today, students shouldn’t have trouble finding career opportunities in fields ranging from communication to cheese innovation.

Randy Jensen, assistant director of Career Services, said he expects 3,000-4,000 students to take advantage of the largest career fair in the state.

“Our students get the employers here,” he said. “With the size and variety of the fair, I think we do it better than anybody around.”

Melissa Ceballos, regional recruiting director for Enterprise Rent-A-Car, the nation’s largest college graduate recruiter, said the quality of applicants from Utah State keeps her company coming back.

“There are some solid students there,” she said. “We’ve had great success in the past. A lot of our hires come from Utah State.”

Brad Wilson, manager of human resources for Glanibia Foods, Inc., said his company hires one or two students each year for its management training program. Wilson said, along with being well-dressed and preparing a resume, having a prior knowledge of the companies you’re interested in helps portray a professional image.

Another reason the USU Career Fair is the largest in the state, Jensen said, is because the university allows employers to conduct follow-up interviews in a timely manner. About 40 companies will hold interviews on Thursday and Friday, he said.

“I think that’s one of the most incredible opportunities,” Jensen said. “We’ve allowed companies the ability to come to the fair and prescreen and then conduct next-day interviews. It’s an incredible convenience. It saves [the employers] another trip and our students don’t have to go anywhere.”

Jensen said the number of students who get hired each year depends on the market and the participating employers. Companies such as Enterprise, Micron, L-3 Communications and engineering firms typically hire a lot of USU students, he said.

Other major companies at Wednesday’s career fair will include: Bank of Utah, the FBI, Hewlett Packard, Microsoft, Novell, Qwest, SkyWest Airlines, Wal-Mart and Wells Fargo.

“What is good news is the job market is up and growing,” he said. “It’s growing even more in Utah than it is nationally. The big message is there are more jobs out there than there have been in some time. Students need to realize that and take full advantage.”

Jensen said certain career fields will still make more hires through the career fair than others, but the market boom is a good thing for graduating seniors.

“We actually have more civil engineering offers right now than we have graduating civil engineering students,” he said. “Students ought to be able to find what they want.”

Both Wilson and Ceballos said their companies, along with other companies at the fair, are looking for career-minded students.

“We’re not looking for potential applicants,” she said. “I’m looking for someone who is interested in a career with our company – someone who is interested in learning all aspects of our business and how to run a business of your own.”

Still, other companies will be hiring for summer employment and internships, Jensen said.

While Ceballos said most students don’t dream about beginning their careers with a rental car agency, she said it is important to keep an open mind about employers.

“I think it’s important for students to be aware of what’s out there and keep an open mind,” she said. It’s all about opportunity and working for a company with potential.”

Wednesday’s 16th-annual Career Fair will be held on the second floor of the TSC. It is open to all students, alumni and members of the community.

-acf@cc.usu.edu