Career fairs bring opportunities to students

With over 60 local, national and global companies set to attend, the Business & Liberal Arts Career Fair and the Engineering & Science Expo will bring UTEP students a chance to seeking jobs and internships.

"I'm definitely going to attend, because it's a great opportunity to talk to the employers and see if there's anything I can do to better myself and make myself more competitive in the market," said Sofia Maragoudakis, senior biological sciences major.

The event will be split into two days, the first hosting companies relevant to business and liberal arts, and the second focusing on engineering and science. It will provide students with the chance to present their resumes to representatives from successful businesses, network with working professionals and begin to circulate their names within the workforce.

"I always hear that students don't want to come to these events because they can simply apply for jobs online," said Betsabe Castro, associate director of the University Career Center. "But it's so important for them to understand that you don't have an opportunity to make your case on a piece of paper. We know that employers nationwide use these career fairs as a tool to start identifying potential candidates, and that face to face time is extremely critical."

A few of the companies booked to attend are local, such as GECU and the Union Pacific Railroad. Other national companies such as Target and the Coast Guard, and even global organizations such as Alcatel-Lucent, a communications corporation founded in France will be part of the event.

According to Castro, a major reason why companies visit UTEP is that many students are bilingual.

"They know that many of our students are bilingual, an incredible asset to many organizations, and that many of our students are used to working and going to school while maintaining strong academic backgrounds," Castro said.

Many students may assume that career fairs such as this one are meant only for upperclassmen and graduate students actively seeking jobs and internships. Though that is their main focus, underclassmen are more than welcome to attend if for no other reason than to learn how these types of events work and prepare themselves for the future when they will be ready for the job market.

"Even if you're a freshman and not ready to apply for a job, you can still go to learn how people network," said Adriana Valdez, junior pre-education major. "You can see what people wear, what they put on their resumes, what they say to and ask to the employers, and what kind of companies come."

If a student is attending the career fair for the first time, walking into a room of employers can be quite intimidating, but the University Career Center advises students to look for the people wearing white ribbons. These are the UTEP alumni that have risen through the ranks within their companies and have returned as representatives.

"It's very encouraging for students to realize that these people were just like they were a few years back, and it makes them more confident," Castro said.

The career center offers students a service to help students organize their resume and practice their interviewing skills. Appointments aren't necessary and students are encouraged to simply walk-in and request help.

"Students should be looking for a job up to six months before they graduate," Castro said. "Because the hiring process at every company takes a while, if you miss the boat, you just have to wait for the next one to come in."

The Career Fair and Expo will take place from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Feb. 2-3 on the 3rd floor of Union Building East at the Thomas Rivera Conference Center. For more information, contact the University Career Center at 747-5640.

Rebecca Guerrero can be reached at prospector@utep.edu