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Emmett Walker and Ben Davis of ConAgra Foods, who are also both OSU alumni, speak to Ben Aman, a senior in psychology, at the career fair on Tuesday afternoon.

Getting a small taste of life after college

Career fair attracts more than 100 companies, flocks of students

By: Alysia Greco

Posted: 2/21/07

About 130 companies and 600 well-dressed students were present at Tuesday's Winter Career Fair.

Both company and student participation has risen steadily in the last couple of years.

A few years ago, only 70 companies attended, and last year there were about 100, said Carrie Coplan, a career counselor and Career Fair coordinator with Career Services.

Coplan attributed this increase to better economic conditions in the state. Companies which attended were enthusiastic about the students.

"I love these kids. It is so invigorating to see so many doing the right thing," said Patti Ann Monzie, a recruiter for the Forest Service.

An impressed sentiment was echoed by many of the company representatives, and many commented on the quality of the OSU students they had met.

Their was a wide range of companies in attendance, from the FBI to FritoLay and IBM. Most recruiters attending were open to students in all majors.

Representatives were looking for students with a broad background and leadership and work experience.

Willingness to learn was one of the top characteristics sought in students because many companies have in-house training.

A student majoring in anthropology was considering becoming a claims adjuster during an 11-week course for SAIF Corporation in Salem because it was close to her family and has good benefits, the student said.

While recruiters seemed to outnumber students in the early afternoon, Coplan said that student attendance has been higher this year than last.

Recruitment of students has largely targeted the classroom. Career Services has been encouraging professors to announce the fair in class. Some professors even brought their entire class.

Sandy Burnett, internship coordinator for design and human environment, said her students are usually successful in finding their summer internships at the fair.

Students who attended were interested in seeking both summer internships and full-time jobs. Some said they had a positive time interacting with company representatives and were finding interesting opportunities, anywhere from the Willamette Valley to Sun Valley, Idaho.

Door prizes, including a Hewlett-Packard printer, were given away, and cookies were placed strategically in lighter-trafficked conference rooms.

Career Services encouraged students to come prepared, be independent, bring a resume, have a firm handshake and a positive attitude. But most of all they hoped students would just to come to the fair and meet company representatives.

While there has been a rise in recent years in students applying to jobs over the Internet, Coplan encourages all students to network in person, even sophomores and juniors.

"The reason why the Career Fair is so important is that the internet is just the tip of the iceberg," Coplan said. "The number-one way people get jobs is through networking."

The Winter Engineering Career Fair is today from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the CH2M Hill building.

The next Career Fair will be held April 25.