Billingsly Student Center was home to the spring Job Expo, March 21. Pat Hurley, director of Career Services, said the spring event boasted a good turnout.

“There were 59 companies in attendance, and about 600 students took part in the event,” she said.

Many of the organizations represented at the job fair targeted specific majors.

“There was a lot of recruiting for arts and science majors and graphics majors as well,” Hurley said.

Though the vendors may have been looking for specific majors, it was the students who had the opportunity to enjoy the buffet of eager employers searching for recruits.

“We had regional and state companies represented, as well as the federal government in Virginia,” Hurley said.

One individual who can attest to the contribution of the college job fair scene is Randy Harbin, an accounting major who graduated in May 2006. He is currently employed in a position he found last spring at the job fair.

“I approached the Health and Human Services table and asked questions,” he said. “The brochure said they were searching for accounting majors, so I asked what type jobs they were offering. From then until I was hired was about two months. They took a resumé on the spot, and stayed in touch with me by email through the entire application process.

“After applying, it seemed like forever. But it only took about three weeks or so for them to call and offer me an interview in Jefferson City. I interviewed and was offered the job on the spot. Being prepared when you attend job-fairs can make a world of difference.”

For Harbin, the difference was life-changing.

“As a nontraditional student, getting the chance to meet employers was very important,” he said. “So I always dressed professionally, feeling that first impression may be all it would take to get my dream job. The spring job fair is where I first found out about job openings with my current employer.”

Harbin said most students sometimes forget about the opportunities at fairs.

“I personally feel that the job fairs are an excellent opportunity for students to put themselves in a position for a career,” he said. “I also feel that, for the most part, students don’t take them seriously. In my time at Southern there seemed to be very few of us that showed up in professional dress, with resumés in hand. Most students go to get a freebie or two. I now have a great career with the U.S. government in large part because I took a job fair seriously.”