Weber State University Holds Job Fair for Students, Alumni
By Kelli Palmer-Stephens, Standard-Examiner, Ogden, Utah
Feb. 16–OGDEN, Utah — Weber State University made job hunting a little easier for its students and alumni Thursday by inviting employers to come to them, offering a variety of employment opportunities.
More than 120 businesses, catering to almost every curriculum major, lined the concourse of the Dee Events Center in Ogden, providing information and setting up interviews with interested and qualified students, said Betty Simons, chair of the career fair and career counselor for Weber State’s Career Services Center.
“This is a great opportunity for students to network and build relationships with businesses,” Simons said.
While most of the businesses were from Utah, Simons said, some traveled from out of state from as far as San Antonio, Texas. Many stay in Utah overnight for interviews with students the following day. Teri Roper, a recruiter for the Internal Revenue Service in Salt Lake City, said the agency attends the fair annually, hiring quite a few students every year.
They are currently looking to hire accountants and law enforcement officers, she said.
Simons recommended to juniors and seniors that they attend dressed in professional attire with resumes in hand, to impress possible employers.
“But this is a more casual environment for students,” Simons said, “and doesn’t have to feel as formal as an interview.”
Counselors at the Career Services Center at Weber State provide juniors and seniors with basic job searching and interviewing skills, Simons said, helping them to become competitors in the job market. Along with providing assistance in the preparation of resumes, they conduct mock interviews with students, taping the 30-minute role play to provide constructive criticism.
“This builds their self-esteem and confidence when in an actual interview,” Simons said.
Weber State senior Ed Cash said he came to the fair hoping to snag a management position in construction. After dropping off several resumes, he felt optimistic he would receive a call for an interview. Eugeniya Ezhova, an international MBA student at Weber State, said she was offered a job with Flying J on the spot at the fair, but declined. “I have two master’s degrees so I’m more than qualified for a customer service position,” Ezhova said.
“Right now, I’m just looking to get my name out there and get to know employers,” she said.
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