Program helps with job searches
 By
Laura Pelner
Campus Editor
By the end of this year every student on campus,
38,208 people, will know the name careersINsite if those in charge of
the program meet their goal.
Stuart Jones, the campus program manager, said
that within the first few weeks of school people from careersINsite,
a program promoting technology jobs in Indiana, have interacted with
more than 1,000 students. By the end of the year, Jones said he hopes
everyone knows the name.
"CareersINsite is not just about those in obvious
technology majors," said Jones. "It's for any major, from public relations
to accounting to marketing to technology."
Jones said Purdue graduates should look for permanent
jobs in Indiana after graduation because there are a lot of opportunities
here.
"There are still technology job opportunities in
Indiana," he said. "Indiana is not as adversely affected as other places.
Indiana companies haven't laid off (as many people)."
In fact, Jones said many in-state companies are
looking for Purdue graduates. However, they're not actively searching
as much as they used to.
In the past, students could be reactive in the
job search. That is, they could wait for companies to contact them with
job opportunities. "It's not like that now. Students must be proactive,
they must interface with companies," Jones said.
CareersINsite is based at Purdue but has a cooperation
with four other schools — Ball State, Indiana University, Indiana
University-Purdue University-Indianapolis and Rose-Hulman. Throughout
the next year the company will partake in various activities at the
schools.
The company has a presence on campus at today's
Computer Roundtable Job Fair and will also be at the Department of Computer
Science Job Fair and Industrial Roundtable on Sept. 10.
Chip Edwards, senior in the Schools of Engineering
and president of the Purdue Engineering Student Council, said careersINsite
is sponsoring seminars for students during the Industrial Roundtable
job fair. These seminars will allow students to meet technology professionals
and talk with them one-on-one.
"It's beneficial to the state of Indiana and it's
something good for students," Edwards said. "Students should take advantage
of it."
Holly Wood, a senior in the School of Science and
president of the Association for Computing Machinery, said it also benefits
the technology companies.
"The smaller companies don't have big budgets to
go to the job fairs and make a big splash," she said. "But all of them
combined with careersINsite can make a big splash."
Wood said that like many computer science majors
she's fearful of the current economy and job market. "But there seems
to be a lot of technical companies in Indiana," she said.
President Martin Jischke agreed. "It is my hope
that careersINsite will help Purdue students realize the opportunities
that exist here in Indiana," he said. "And, that as a consequence of
that, many of them will take advantage of those opportunities."
CareersINsite will be active on campus throughout
the academic year. For more information about specific events visit
www.careersINsite.org or call 496-1752.
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