Career Services is hosting a Career Fair today in the Union Ballroom to connect U students with employers looking for soon-to-be graduates.

Between 150 and 160 companies are expected to attend, said Melissa Ridgway, career counselor. That’s the most in years, making the ballroom scheduled to capacity.

Engineering and financial firms are the most common companies that sign up for the annual fair, but a wide variety of recruiters are also expected for students from every major, she said.

“It all depends on which companies are hiring the most right now,” Ridgway said, but the high interest in the fair from companies suggests many employment opportunities are open.

Students are encouraged to come to the fair prepared.

“Browsing 150 employers can be overwhelming,” she said. “Coming with a game plan can be more useful.”

Aaron Hill, senior in finance, did just that last year and landed an internship with New York Life.

“I wasn’t targeting insurance at first, I was targeting investment firms. But I started learning about insurance,” Hill said. Career counselor Dana Sowby encouraged him to apply to at least three insurance companies.

Hill came to the fair prepared with rsums and dropped one off with New York Life.

By having rsums with him, he was able to simplify the process of getting interviews.

“They’re not going to know anything about you, so it seemed logical,” Hill said.

The job wasn’t easy, and he had to study and test for two licenses, but Hill sold more insurance than the other interns, doubling the number that the second-place winner sold. Last month Hill was honored as Top Summer Intern nationwide and is planning to stay with the company after graduating in August.

Hill advised applicants to be aware of how interns are treated at a company. He said New York Life paid interns like any other employee, while others split the commission.

Because space at the fair is limited, Ridgway said only companies focused on hiring graduates full-time were admitted.

To come prepared, students are encouraged to scan the list of companies on the career services Web site.

Some of them include Target, Walgreens, L3, Micron Technologies,

Wells Fargo Financial, Enterprise Car Rental, FDIC and Goldman Sachs.