Job shopping
Students seek opportunities at 2008 campus Career Expo
Mandy Toepfer
Issue date: 10/2/08 Section: Campus Life
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Students dressed in business attire wandered around to each of the tables that lined the floor and sides of the ballroom.
Sixty-four companies, including Farmers Insurance and the Overland Park Police Department, came out to the expo, held on Thursday, Sept. 25, hoping to find their next employees.
Kelsey Bailey, junior in automotive technology, says she attended the expo for the same reason other students went.
"I want a job," she said.
Bailey checked out several of the tables and says she would like to work for Farmers Insurance, Nissan or Toyota.
"I want to be a claims investigator who goes out, looks at the vehicle and inspects it and figures out if it's a total loss or not," she said.
Kristy Magee of Career Services, the department that organized the event, says the companies find out about the Career Expo in different ways. One of the ways is through Gorillas4Hire, a system found on the Career Services home page. This system allows students to connect with potential employers.
The Gorillas4Hire system also provides a place to upload resumes and other career documents, view and apply for jobs and to register for career fairs and workshops.
Magee says she thinks students should start coming to career expos when they're freshmen, and that the goal of the Career Expo is for students to make contact with companies and to start networking.
"It's to really start thinking about their future," she said. "(This is a) great opportunity to do that."
It turns out Charles Rockwood, who was flipping through the Wheatland Systems folder at the fair, had the same idea.
"I came to look at the opportunities," Rockwood, freshman in computer science, said.
About 800 students attended the Career Expo last year and Magee says she's hoping for the same number this year. The expo was busy throughout the day with more than 200 students filling the room at one time.
Magee says there are a couple of preparation steps students should go through before they meet with the companies, including having a solid resume and figuring out what the company is all about.
"Really inquire about the company, go to their Web site ahead of time," she said. "Have good solid questions to ask."
Along with Gorillas4Hire, the Career Services office holds mock interviews for students to learn proper interview etiquette and staff members are available to help with any job search questions.
Frank Donnelly, an employer at the Chrysler table, says he looks for students who are bold and confident, not necessarily the ones who get the best grades.
"The students who get the best job are the ones who insist on getting the best job," Donnelly said. "They know what they want."
Confidence is a key trait to have.
"Too many will make the decision to say they aren't good enough, so they don't push themselves," Donnelly said.
Donnelly says he was impressed by the way the Career Expo was handled.
"I think the school has done a phenomenal job," he said. "The layout is great and the students have been professional."
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