Career Services hosted their biannual job fair on Thursday, Oct. 9, in the Activities Building.
There were many different employers; some new to the fair and some that sponsor every year. IUS students and the public attended to meet with employers.
The coordinator of the event was Lynn Prinz, Assistant Director of Career Services.
There is not a way to be directly hired from attending the job fair. There is more to it.
“These job fairs are kind of like an ice-breaker interview,” Prinz said. “I tell the candidates to follow up with the employers they are interested in working for and they will have a good chance at getting a formal interview.”
Prinz said the job fairs are as helpful as the candidates want them to be.
“I always tell the students that I meet with, at an interview, it’s not the resume you’re taking with you that matters most,” she said. “It’s the person and confidence level you’re talking to the employer with.”
Career Services hosts a business and industry job fair every spring and fall. The job fairs are open to the public as well. “Probably 20 to 25 percent [of attendees] are non IUS students,” Prinz said.
“The attendance for candidates was 50 percent higher than in April,” Prinz said. “I’m not sure if that is a sign of the economy or not but I would guess it is. The employers’ attendance was down some and I do know that was a sign of the economy. Businesses are still hiring, they are just being very efficient with their resources.”
Many IU Southeast students attended.
Megan Parker, bio-chemistry freshman, is hoping to find a job such as, UPS or FedEx that offers third shift. “I am expecting to find a third shift job that offers tuition assistance,” Parker said.
“I would like to learn more about the companies; really, any company that offers third shift,” Parker said. “Most of my experience is in customer service. I would love to cross over to the production field such as warehouse work.”
Some students came to the job fair with one company in mind.
Melissa Kovachik, electrical engineering technology sophomore, is mainly interested in General Electric Co. [consumer & industrial].
“I am trying to get an internship or a co-op,” Kovachik said. “I am interested in GE because it is just a great company, and there are a lot of opportunities there for my major.”
Career Services makes an effort to help students and the public. Before the candidates went to and meet with the employers in the lower part of the Activities Building, there was a speaker in the main entrance giving instructions on how to speak with the employers and how to go about asking questions and getting the information they needed.
The employers that sponsor the job fair vary. At this particular event, they ranged from spell to Sun Tan City and even to spell Mail Masters.
“There is a core group we have, that is here every time,” Prinz said. “There is Target, Kroger, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Walgreens, UPS, FedEx, Unique Management Services, Inc. and Employment Guide. Then, we always have our government agencies; military, Census Bureau, and of course there is a police force, whether it is Indiana or Louisville. This year, it is Louisville.”
“The employers new the event this year are CBS Interactive and Kentucky Data Link,” Prinz said. “They are both Web-developing companies.”
The employers were eager to speak with the candidates about their companies and the opportunities they offer.
Jason Trester, manager of Web site development at CBS Interactive, said they mainly hire computer science graduates.
“I want students to learn more about our company and see what everybody is looking for,” Trester said. “Usually, students are not prepared for job fairs. It is nice to speak with them and get to know them and help them fill in the gaps.”
“It is our first time at IUS but, out of the nine people directly below me, at least three of them have come from job fairs,” Trester said. “Two of my employees are IUS grads.”
There is a Web site that helps candidates and employers to post and find information regarding the job fair.
At indianaCAREERconnect.com, employers can search the database of candidates and find employees with the qualifications they are looking for.
Unique Management Services, Inc. is a material recovery service for public libraries. They recover items that have not been returned. The company is all over the U.S., Canada, England, Australia and New Zealand.
Kenes Bowling, manager of human resources at Unique Management Services, Inc., said he has come to the job fair at IU Southeast for 10 years. “It’s been me every time.” Bowling said. “Jim Kanning and I have gone gray together.”
“We hire about one or two candidates each job fair,” Bowling said. “We have about 72 employees and about half of them are part-time students. We have several IUS graduates working for us now.”
“We have flexible hours and we are used to adjusting for students’ schedules,” Bowling said. “It is a safe and energetic place to work and there are opportunities for professional growth.”
Before this event takes place, there are preparations involved.
“To get this organized, I first contacted the employers,” Prinz said. “I advertised with signs and flyers in the area and on campus. I also advertised on college Web links that advertise to colleges everywhere throughout the state.”
By KRISTINA BLEUEL
Staff Writer
kcbleuel@ius.edu