Career Fair suggests economic recovery
With more than 130 companies attending Wednesday’s Career Fair, students will have a better chance at entering the post-graduation work field than they have within the last few years, said Melissa Scheaffer, associate director of USU Career Services.
Randy Jensen, who is also an associate director of Career Services, said 120 companies registered to participate in the fair last year. Just as the number of companies registered for the Career Fair has increased, Scheaffer said she has seen the number of career opportunities she has informed students about increase.
“The number of employers who are attending the Career Fair really indicates the bounce back in the economy,” she said. “The employers come back because of the students that they see here.”
This year, Google will attend the event, held in the TSC Ballroom and International Lounge from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Scheaffer said they will be a must-see booth because of 6,000 positions they must fill due to the company’s growth.
In its 22nd year, the fair is the largest of its kind in the state of Utah, and anywhere from 3-5,000 students attend the event, however, Jensen said his goal is to increase the number of those who attend.
Enterprise Rent-A-Car recruite Melissa Ceballos has been attending the USU Career Fair to find future employees for nine years, ever since she got started in the recruiting program, and has seen several USU students hired into the company.
“Finding students at the fair is really hit or miss,” she said, “but when it’s a hit the student comes prepared with a lot of work experience.”
Out of Ceballos’ entire region, which includes Utah and Idaho, she said USU’s Career Fair is in the top three most beneficial to her company. She said they are open to hiring students from all majors.
This year, 24 employers will interview students they meet during the Career Fair the day following, Schaeffer said, so they will receive immediate results from the event. In addition to long-term career opportunities, student can find temporary occupations as well as internships.
Some USU students signed up to be student hosts, which means they assist the visiting companies’ employers. USU initiated the first student host program in the state and Scheaffer said some of these students have been offered jobs during “hiring freezes” from the company they assisted.
“We know having that face-to-face impression, that human connection, is really valuable,” Scheaffer said.
There is not only one group of students who should consider attending the Career Fair, Jensen said. Students who are unsure about what they are interested in studying may benefit from attending the fair and learning about their future career options, he said. Other students are reaching a point where they are seriously considering career options should “dress to impress” and be prepared with resumes.
“The majority of students need to be able to assess their skills and show how they can add value to a potential employer,” Scheaffer said.
Upon arriving at the Career Fair, Jensen encourages students to find the information booths in order to view all of the companies that have attended. Those companies who will interview prospective employees the following day will be emphasized on the list. Scheaffer said the larger companies to expect at the event, in addition to Google, include GE Energy, Goldman Sachs, Goodrich Corporation, Intermountain Healthcare and Rocky Mountain Power.
“We have a lot of students that report back to us after having had success from the fair,” Jensen said. “We have a great response and we always get good feedback from employers about the fair itself.”
If nothing else, Jensen said, it is wise for any student to go for networking opportunities they may not otherwise have access to.
“Whether a student is interested in engineering or non-profits, there is something there for them,” Scheaffer said.
– catherine.meidell@aggiemail.usu.edu