Career center hosts job fair Tuesday

Nathan Howard talked with the Indiana State Museum at Tuesday's Career Opportunity Fair. Howard, a senior marketing major, who will graduate in May, was one of many students from ISU to attend the fair. Howard said he attended the fair because it's beneficial. "You have different organizations from all over the country and you are able to see what is available and you don't need to drive anywhere," Howard said. Employers pack into the North Gym at ISU searching for the perfect employee from among ISU's student body. "We had a record number of employers this year," Kent Waggoner, Director of the Career Center said. "They had jobs in their briefcases ready to give our students." The career center hosts a job fair each semester for students to come and meet potential employers or to get a feel for the business market. Jake Hack, a senior business administration major said he feels that everyone, whether they are looking for a job or not, should attend. "I've been several years. I think it is a great way to get in contact with employers and even if you are not looking for a job, you network, meet people, and get a feel for the marketplace. I didn't limit myself, I went to gain experience," Hack said. Waggoner said everyone within the student body should attend at least once. Waggoner feels the experience can be beneficial by seeing the atmosphere within a career, getting comfortable in that environment, and hopefully build a relationship with companies. "The career fair should be a starting point in your job search. You know that the employer's that come are looking to hire people so you don't have to search all over creation to find an employer that is hiring." Hack said he was pleased to see how many employers attended the fair and the accessibility of each company. "I was excited that employers show up and take time to visit the university. It's nice to know that the university has that kind of pull," Hack said. Waggoner was disappointed at some of the early numbers coming in from the fair's attendance with students. "Our main goal is to connect successful, aggressive employers with highly qualified students, a sort of marketplace for employers to find motivated employees," Waggoner said. "We had hospitals clambering all over each other to find nurses. Students just didn't show up."