Maquella Chacon

Staff Writer

The ISU Spring Career Fair takes place every February and brings employers to campus to meet and interact with students, providing interviews and potential job opportunities.

The 2019 fair included 66 employers with informational and interview booths organized in the Pond Student Union Ballroom. The attendees included local companies and large scale employers. Every major and field of work was accounted for with the large amount of booths provided at the event.

The line at the door to enter the fair was frequently a long wait, as eager students faced the anticipation of making the most of the opportunities they would soon be presented with.

“Whatever you’re looking for there is a little bit for everybody here,” said Jeff Christian, Career Center contributor.

Several notable employers were in attendance such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Idaho National Laboratory, KPVI-TV, Mountain View Hospital, the Yellowstone Theological Institute and the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Spring Career Fair is one of six future-oriented fairs put on by the university to provide future guidance for current students, encouraging growth and success.

Health professions, business, STEM, and education career fairs are also held annually at the university. However, the Spring Career Fair is the main spotlight event.

This year, the Spring Career Fair was organized and produced by the ISU Career Center, which is located in the Pond Student Union building. The center offers career counseling, resume reviews, practice job interviews, LinkedIn profile reviews and miscellaneous workshops to prepare students for jobs and other opportunities they could have after leaving ISU.

This year the turnout was about 508 students in attendance, and the rate of those who find employment keeps growing with every fair.

Employers were looking for candidates who are fully capable, willing to work hard and driven. They were optimistic and hopeful in finding new job candidates at the fair.

Students are asked to bring resumes and dress professionally to each fair. Meeting employers, giving them a face with a name and making an impression is the goal of this fair.

Students are encouraged to take it very seriously. For many, it is the first opportunity to seek employment for when they graduate in the spring.

Making connections and building relationships with employers provides a start to finding jobs that lead to careers and the opportunities that are provided through the ISU Career Fairs.

“[I look for] advice and experience,” said ISU student and fair attendee Connor Sweeney. “I know what I want to go into; [the Career Fair] helps the students get where they want to go.”