The Hawk Career Fair, which is the largest fair held on campus all year, will take place from noon to 4 p.m. on Sept. 26 in the Williams Center, Gym 1.

This fair is coordinated by the Career and Leadership Development team.

Brian Bredeson, the associate director in the Career and Leadership Development office said the event takes about five or six months to plan, with the last few months being the most intensive.

With over 100 companies looking to hire new employees this year, the Hawk Career Fair is a major opportunity for students on campus to explore careers and network among employers, Bredeson said.

“It’s a great opportunity for students,” Bredeson said. “I think if employers are willing to come here, right to [the students’] campus, it’s a great opportunity for making…face to face contacts.”

Bredeson said he’s been heavily involved in planning the Hawk Career Fair for 11 years, taking the lead on coordinating the event and assisting with the background work.

Many feel the Hawk Career Fair is most significant to students in the school of business and do not realize the importance of the event, Bredeson said.

According to Bredeson, even though there are many fairs throughout the year, the Hawk Career Fair is the largest and most important for students in every major to attend.

“Contrary to popular belief, the reality is that 70 percent or more of the companies that are there are interested in talking to students outside of the college of business in addition to [the students in] the college of business,” Bredeson said.

Students of every major are advised to register on Hawk Jobs prior to the event, where a full list of attending companies can be found. The list includes what each of the businesses does as well as which positions are being filled.

“If [the students] don’t know anything about Hawk Jobs, they can come to the Career and Leadership Development Office with help getting registered,” Employer Relations and Marketing Associate Margaret O’Leary said.

O’Leary said she assists with the fair each year.

Bredeson said some tips to help students make an impression at the career fair include:

•Business casual attire

•Have updated résumés on

hand

•Be prepared (background in

formation on companies, in

cluding what position is being

filled)

•Be inquisitive: “Employers

will remember, year to year,

the students [whom] they’ve

been interactive with and

[and] who show genuine in

terest in their company.”

Bredeson said he also recommends having a game plan in mind before attending the fair.

“It would be great if students [brought a list] of 10 or 20 of those [companies] that look the most interesting and that they fit the qualifications that the employer is looking for,” Bredeson said. “It would be great if they took it to that level, instead of going and looking at [over 100] companies.”