Students spring into job search with Ohio State career fair

William Kosileski
Thu, 28 Jan 2016 02:56:52 +0000
Spring Grad and Careers Special Issue

The Spring Career Fair will take place in The Ohio Union in the Archie M. Griffin Grand Ballroom and in the Performance Hall. Courtesy of Scott Kustis

Students looking for a job or summer internship are in luck, as the Ohio State University Spring Career Fair will give them the opportunity to network with employers that are looking to hire.

Formerly known as Spring Career Day, the fair will feature employers that are in search of individuals looking for career and internship opportunities, and will be held on Feb. 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Ohio Union’s Archie M. Griffin Grand Ballroom and the Performance Hall, with a special Interview Day set to take place the following day.

“This is the final large-scale university-wide career fair of the year, and we have a lot of employers that really want to target Ohio State students,” said Scott Kustis, the assistant director and career preparation adviser for the College of Arts and Sciences Career Services. “It is open to all students, across all colleges of all majors. It really is intended to spread across a large range of disciplines.”

The event is open to all current OSU students, as well as recent OSU graduates, as most of the companies in attendance will be on the lookout for individuals to work full-time, entry level positions, while some of the other companies are in search of individuals to fill summer intern positions, Kustis said.

“The focus of the fair is more along the lines of full-time job opportunities for seniors, but there will be some companies looking to hire interns,” he said.

The companies that will be attending the Spring Career Day can sign up to participate in Interview Day the following day on Feb. 25, in which the companies will conduct sit-down interviews with the students that they invited back in order to find the best person to fill their open position, Kustis said.

Kustis added that not all of the employers come back for the Interview Day, as many of the local companies will contact candidates at later dates or interview them on the spot.

“Not all companies have the resources to come back to campus for Interview Day, so many of the companies will interview their job candidates right then (at the fair),” Kustis said.

The event will have a large number of employers that students can network with, ranging from private sector companies to federal and state government agencies, as well as plenty of opportunities for science and technology students, Kustis said.

“There are a large number of companies that are seeking business, technical and analytical types of roles,” he said. “There are also some engineering and computer science opportunities for students, and there will be a good representation of federal and state governmental agencies.”

Some of the employers that will be at the event are Apple, Key Bank, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Quicken Loans, Time Warner Cable and Capital One, among many others.

“We are up to 175 organizations at this point,” Kustis said.

For those students or recent graduates that will attend, it is highly recommended that some research is done beforehand in order to determine if a particular employer of interest will be in attendance.

“Many students may be frustrated with career fairs, but it is important to conduct some background research of the companies, to look at the positions they are looking to fill and to make a list of the top 20 companies that you want to target so that you can initiate discussion and make a good first impression,” Kustis said.

Kustis also mentioned the importance of standing out and making a personal connection with the employers because of the high level of competition and the large number of similar resumes that the employers will go through.

“It truly matters to be able to network and to meet with someone one-on-one, as opposed to applying on the company’s website,” he said. “It depends on who gets face-to-face with the employer and who can make the best case for why they are (the) best person for the job. Many students often overlook that. It’s very important to make sure you establish a personal connection.”

Twain Frazier, a fourth-year in communication, said he is planning on using OSU’s Spring Career Fair to look for job opportunities for after he graduates at the end of this semester.

“I am attending this fair to look for potential clients to start out with after I graduate from Ohio State,” he said. “I am looking to see what these companies are searching for in potential clients, and I’m going to see what is best for me and my future.”

Students will not need to register or RSVP to attend the fair, but current OSU students will need to present a valid BuckID to enter. For recent graduates, it is requested that interested attendees bring a copy of their resume to drop off at the registration desk upon arrival.

“There is no easy way out of the career preparation process,” Kustis said. “It will take some time and research, but those students that have that commitment will get a lot more out of the event.”

More information about OSU’s Spring Career Fair can be found at the College of Arts and Sciences career services website.