Students prepare for careers at fair

Amid pole vaulting equipment and long jump sand pits, 1,195 students attended the Fall Career and Internship Fair on Wednesday at its new location, Harry Gladstein Fieldhouse. This year marks the largest number of employers to attend the fair.

Senior and biology and neuroscience student Jennifer Boatz was looking for both internships and full-time jobs, depending on whether she decides to go to graduate school.

She stopped at the Eli Lilly and Company booth.

“I was really interested in what they had to say,” she said, adding that the company accepted her resume. “I’m impressed with the diversity of clients.”

She also said she liked the new venue.

“Especially this year, this setup, it’s so much easier to walk around than the IMU,” she said.

Jeanne Gunning, director of volunteers at WonderLab Museum, agreed.

“I really like it and the students said they had no problem getting here,” she said.

At WonderLab, she said, students have the opportunity to volunteer, do paid work study or participate in unpaid internships. Opportunities range from animal exhibits and birthday party interns to camp director assistant.

2011 IU graduate Anna Hallagan was at the fair promoting IU Health Bloomington Hospital. She said the caliber of students has been great and the hospital loves IU students.

She said the hospital offers full and part-time positions for students as well as internship opportunities.

Senior and policy analysis major  Tiffany Tanakit attended the fair for the third year in a row. She said she hopes to obtain a job that has good team atmosphere and she is passionate about.

She said she likes hearing about the duties of the job from an actual employee, instead of looking at a website.

“It’s really nice to have that person-to-person contact,” she said.

Career Development Center Director Patrick Donahue said the number of employers at this career fair wouldn’t have fit in the Indiana Memorial Union, but the downside is that the fieldhouse is not centrally located and students used to be able to stop at the fair in between classes when it was at the IMU.

Wes Erwin, senior assistant director of employee relations at the center, said an upside is that it forced students to have a higher level of professionalism because of the fact they couldn’t just stop by.

Jeremy Harmon, program assistant and recruiting coordinator at the center, echoed Erwin’s statement and said students were more prepared.

“As a whole, I am very, very pleased with this event,” he said.