Every student that goes to college has one common goal: to find a job after graduation. One way that colleges prepare students is by hosting a career fair, inviting students to meet employers and network.
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater hosted their semesterly job fair in the Williams Center on Feb. 12. Employers from all over Wisconsin and some from Illinois showed up to look for potential new employees or interns.
“This is a really great opportunity for our students to be able to meet with employers, network and be able to find out about different internship and full-time job opportunities,” said Technology and Employer Relations Coordinator Kim Apel. “We’ve had a lot of freshmen come though, and they’re getting to have that experience of networking and having a conversation with an employer. Even if they don’t find the perfect employer here, they’re still gaining a skill by coming in today.”
Large companies such as Epic and Kohl’s were there, along with smaller companies, such as Royle Printing from Sun Prairie and Lake Lawn Resort from Delavan. Representatives from police departments and counties also were invited to the career fair.
A lot of companies, however, did not show up to the career fair due to the snow that prevented safe traveling. This prevented students from being able to network with companies they were interested in.
“We really watched to make sure that we were making good decisions that were going to be in everyone’s safety and let people also make the decision if they were going to come or not,” Apel said. “We knew that employers wouldn’t be able to make it, so we offered the opportunity for them to have envelopes on their tables where students can put resumes in. We did that to ensure that students can still connect with those employers that couldn’t be here today.”
The companies that did end up coming had the chance to meet with students and talk to them about the companies they represent. One such company was Northwestern Mutual, which came from Appleton, to attend the fair.
“We are open to creating partnerships with students on campus and wanting to spread Northwestern Mutual’s name to those who haven’t heard about it,” said Northwestern Mutual representative Courtney Gersek. “The most important thing is creating relationships with students and professors on campus.”
Even though the snowstorm prevented companies from attending the career fair, Apel believed it was still a success. With the combination of over 900 students attending the fair and the university sending student resumes to the companies, it helped those who came to network with companies they were interested in and possibly get a job or internship in the future.
