Job fair attracts companies to campus
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 02/06/2007
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The College of Technology will host its seventh annual career fair Wednesday.
The job fair is open to students of all majors.
"It's open to all students," said Susanne Kelley, placement secretary for mechanical engineering technology. "But it is sponsored by the College of Technology so there is a big focus on technology, engineering and management."
The fair will last from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will be held in the North and South Ballrooms of the Purdue Memorial Union.
"It's a great opportunity," Kelley said. "It gives students a chance to meet company recruiters and get their applications in."
Representatives from 98 companies will be present to speak with students and prospective interns. Some businesses attending are American Airlines, GE and U.S. Steel.
"Most of the companies Purdue has relationships with, and they are looking for a wide variety of skills in students," said Jim Sprinkles, assistant to the department head of computer graphics technology. "We have a waiting list of companies so it's been nice to get to this point."
The companies will be on the lookout for prospective interns and future employees.
"Companies will be looking for full-time and internship positions," Kelley said. "Most are hiring for full-time over the summer. They usually want to get students in who are open to working for their company in the future."
The companies will be considering a variety of students, not just those in the technology disciplines.
"Although the College of Technology is putting on the fair, companies are not looking specifically for College of Technology students," said Sprinkles.
There are numerous benefits for those who attend the fair including the various contacts one can make in the job market.
"It's a networking opportunity," said Sprinkles. "It's a chance to get close to companies not close to West Lafayette."
Kelley echoed his sentiments.
"It's a good chance to speak one-on-one with a recruiter," Kelley said. "A lot of times you have to send your resume by mail but this is an easy way to get your resume out to a lot of places at one time."
Students are encouraged to take advantage of the opportunity on Wednesday.
"You never know who you might meet or a company that may spark your interest," said Sprinkles. "A lot of time it's hard to walk up to someone and sell yourself and this provides an opportunity to do that."