Students discovered internship opportunities and employment options in science and engineering at a career fair held Tuesday in the Union Ballroom.
Michael Call, a student in computer science, came to the fair to learn more about an internship.
“[It] is a good venue to figure out companies that are looking for people with a technical degree,” Call said.
Students seemed to appreciate and take advantage of the 104 employers in the fields of science and engineering that the fair hosted. Bryan Luke, a sophomore in mechanical engineering, saw the fair as an opportunity to make connections.
“It’s great to start networking with companies that actually want to recruit from here,” he said.
Kelly Dries, career counselor for the College of Humanities, said the fair is instrumental in connecting students to employers.
“The purpose [of the career fair] is really to help students get connected with employers that are looking to hire them for either full time jobs or internships,” Dries said.
Career Services has been preparing for the fair since May by encouraging employers to attend and getting the logistics ironed out. They offer free career help to all U graduates for up to a year after graduation. Alumni Career Services offers similar help at a low rate and works closely with the Alumni Association.
The career fair is designed for students of all ages and grades, including helping freshmen and sophomores get in the habit of networking.
“[It gives them] the opportunity to network with recruiters and maybe learn about things that they could accomplish or work on over the course of the next year or two when they actually start looking for internships and career jobs in their junior and senior year,” said Joe Sindad, a career counselor.
The fair helps upperclassmen find jobs and internships to gain practical experience.
Not many freshmen come, Dries said, but those who do are able to attend, get a head start and develop a network.
This week’s fair focused mainly on science and engineering majors, but next Tuesday’s fair is open to all other majors.