Over 1,500 students came out for the Hawk Career Fair Oct. 2 to network, pass out resumes and apply for internships with more than 150 employers at Kachel Fieldhouse.

It’s a busy start to October for UW-W. The campus career fair, which has been part of Whitewater since the early 2000s, has seen tremendous growth over the last eight years. Job markets have become increasingly competitive, and new college graduates need to be prepared to meet market demands. The career fair provides a springboard for them to start conversations with potential employers, with the goal of landing a fulfilling and well-paid job.

“In 2011, there were approximately 110 employers and 500-600 students attended,” said Kim Apel, Career Technology Coordinator for the office of Career and Leadership Development.

Compare that to the numbers from this year’s fair, the fair and job prospects for UW-W students look favorable. Job availability does flucuate, but the 2019 year has been a good year overall.

Many companies return each year, but there are also new ones added to the list. New companies come both by invitation and by reaching out on their own. This guarantees diverse opportunities for students across all majors on campus. Companies at the fair are primarily looking to hire students for full-time positions requiring college degrees. Many are also offering internships for the following spring and fall semesters.

One of these companies is Geneva Supply Inc. Geneva Supply is an e-commerce company based in Delavan, Wisconsin. This year was the company’s first year with a booth at the fair, but the company has been in contact with the Whitewater Innovation Center where it runs its BizHub internship program. 2018 saw the program’s proof of concept succeed and now the company is looking to expand its prospects.

“This year we are rolling out our project-based internship platform for college students on gotinterns.com,” said Casey Seidl of Geneva Supply’s Product Sales Support.

Seidl says the platform allows for businesses all over the nation to connect with college students interested in the project-based internships. The internships last anywhere from one to four weeks and are better tailored to students with busy schedules. The primary majors the company is looking for include graphic design, press-release writing, and social media marketing.

“Students should be looking for a unique internship experience that allows them to work with several companies and projects over the course of their college career,” Seidl said.

Companies are eager and ready to give students joining the workforce the experience they need to hone the skills they have learned in the classroom.

One student who threw his hat in the ring for the second year at the fair is junior Theo Schultz. Schultz visited booths for investment and financial planning companies looking for internships.

“The fair is a good experience and a lot of it is getting your name out there, and getting your foot in the door for companies,” Schultz said.