High-tech companies bring job opportunities to IU

Smartly dressed with their leather portfolios tucked under their arms, IU students had the opportunity Wednesday to mingle with possible employers at the annual Information Technologies Career Fair in Alumni Hall of the Indiana Memorial Union, where mini interviews were occurring at every table.\n"What kind of leadership opportunities have you had?" a representative wearing a red sweater from Gap, Inc. asked a suited student.\nBecky Vianden, a career services specialist with the School of Informatics, said the fair occurs every September and is a key to helping students make contacts and grab internships and jobs.\n"I think the fair is very helpful for students," Vianden said, "even for underclassmen because they have the opportunity to make contacts they can keep building throughout their schooling."\nAs she left Alumni Hall, junior Carrie Ganote said she stopped by the fair because she received numerous e-mails from the computer science department. \n"They kept saying I should come," she said, "so I came."\nGanote prepared for the fair in advance by researching companies online, including Eli Lilly and Company, whom she eventually hopes to work for.\n"I got to talk with Lilly. That was exciting," Ganote said. "I was mainly looking for internships and part-time jobs."\nFilling internships was one of the primary reasons Shawn Duster, a team leader in charge of corporate computer security for John Deere, said his company was at the fair. \n"I don't think there will be a problem filling our interview schedule based on the caliber of students we've seen," Duster said. "I think we'll end up with a schedule we are very happy with."\nDuster said he was looking for students who had a passion for what they do and weren't looking at a company to add another item to their resumes.\n"We want someone who wants to grow and stay committed to the company," Duster said.\nBecause of economic downturns, the fair has decreased in size in the past couple of years, with less employers coming. The tables of trinkets, from squishy globes to key chains, that used to woo students into talking with representatives seemed unnecessary because the amount of students interested in IT jobs and internships have not decreased, creating a very competitive field. Students waited in lines six people deep to talk with company representatives. \n"Last year and this year, there have only been about 25 companies," Vianden said. "We're hoping to see an increase with a rise in the economy."\nEven with less companies represented, students left the fair confident for the future.\nA representative from Bloomington Hospital & Healthcare System shook hands with a suited student as they finished talking.\n"Look us up, okay?" the representative said. "It was a pleasure to meet you."\n-- Contact senior writer Kathleen Quilligan at kquillig@indiana.edu.