DU held its annual Winter Career and Internship Fair on Feb. 18. It was a record-breaking event according to Sue Hinkin, Executive Director of Career Services, with over 90 employers and hundreds of student participants.
Career fairs can help students make face-to-face connections with potential employers or explore companies in which they might not have been previously held interest.
Any student can and should still attend DU’s career fairs, especially if they prepare for it ahead of time. However, DU’s career fair unevenly serves business students.
Despite the overwhelming positives DU claims for the Winter Career and Internship Fair, there is no doubt that certain sections of the student population gain more than others—primarily, business students. Hinkin stated that this has been a large issue in the past, as many employers likely to attend career fairs look for business students. However, she also mentioned that it is less of an issue now, with a greater number of non-business employers, but students have expressed that it is still a problem.
“It’s mostly business-related,” said Yingda Li, a graduate student in mechanical engineering from China who attended the fair.
“They can transfer my resume to coworkers,” Li also said about his prospects. Even though most of the representatives are looking for business students, they seem to be willing to transfer resumes to related departments for students of other degrees. Nonetheless, these students will not receive the benefits of face-to-face interaction with recruiters, and many of these recruiters may not know details of non-business positions.
The other portion of students who may get more use out of the career fair are simply those who are well-prepared. Hinkin stated that the biggest improvement DU students could make is to research the businesses before attending the fair. All of the employers are listed on the Career Services website beforehand, so it is very easy for students to do basic research prior to attending the event.
“It’s good if you don’t go into it blindly” said Gitel Celnik, a junior from Boulder studying marketing. Candidates who do research ahead of time will not only create a better personal impression, but they will also be able to ask questions about companies related to information that might not be available online. As a result, well-prepared students will profit more from a career fair than simply finding a company online and sending out a resume.
The Winter Career and Internship Fair at DU is not yet a balanced career event, but it is still a positive initiative to help Pios find jobs and internships. If you missed this career fair, the Spring Non-Profit and Government Career Fair will be Apr. 22. In addition, Career Services posts positions and career tips regularly on the Pioneer Career Blog (http://careerblog.du.edu/).
