Job fair informs students

Instead of sitting in a library flipping through dusty books or searching the Internet to find jobs, students were able to meet with company representatives in person Wednesday afternoon at the Arts and Sciences Placement Office's ninth annual social service and nonprofit job fair in Alumni Hall. \nForty-two agencies participated in the job fair, up from 37 last year. \nSondra Inman, assistant director of the Arts and Sciences Placement Office, said she hopes the job fair will continue to grow each year because she sees it as being a very beneficial and informative event.\n"The employers that are here are aware and excited to share information about their fields with students," Inman said.\nThe purpose of the event, Inman said, is to bring in agencies and organizations from the public sector that aren't typically involved with on-campus recruitment.\nOne of the positive aspects of the job fair, Inman said, is that it provides students with an opportunity to talk with different representatives and get more information regarding their fields of interest.\n"It's a good way for students to network with the employers," Inman said. "All students are encouraged to take advantage of these job fairs. They've proven to be very helpful in the past."\nAbout 500 students attended the event. \n"I wanted to see what opportunities were out there," said Tara Taylor, a senior. "It was pretty helpful because I found job opportunities that I was interested in."\nThe job fair let students find information from a variety of agencies, ask questions and make contacts with agency representatives.\nStudents seemed to like the chance to interact with a representative instead of looking up information on their own or being given a pamphlet.\n"It really has a personal touch, because you get to talk with someone," said Adrian Merceron, a senior, said. "It's useful because (the representatives) are here to answer your questions."\nJohn Hassett, a national service volunteer, participated in the job fair on behalf of Elkhart EnviroCorp and stressed the importance of being able to talk one-on-one with a representative.\n"It's beneficial because it is interactive," Hassett said. "We are able to give tailored answers to tailored questions."\nHassett said the job fair was beneficial for both students and representatives.\n"We have gotten to meet a lot of the types of people we are looking for," Hassett said. "It targets and attracts the right kinds of students, those interested in more social and community oriented fields."\nThe Arts and Sciences Placement Office plans to continue sponsoring job fairs like this one, Inman said, because students seem to really benefit from them and get a lot of useful information.\n"It's a very popular event," Inman said. "It's open to all students, and it gives them the opportunity to talk with different representatives."\nFor more information visit the Arts and Sciences Placement Office on the Web at www.indiana.edu/~career/fulltime.