Career and graduate fair on campus today

Jay Dorne / Asst. News Editor

Students will have the opportunity to meet with recruiters and potential employers at the Elon Career and Graduate School Fair from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. today in Alumni Gym.

The career fair is an opportunity for all students to find out about opportunities for employment, ranging from summer jobs to full-time positions. There will also be recruiters from various graduate schools, including law and MBA programs.

Approximately 60 companies and 16 graduate schools will be represented at today’s fair, according to David Magee, director of the career center. He said the career center staff is excited about several companies new to the fair this year, including American Express and Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

A major concern for students in the past is that the fair offers mostly local employment opportunities, Magee said. Although many of the representatives are local, students can still find out about long-distance opportunities.

“We have a number of visiting companies that are national or international in scope,” Magee said. “Students can speak with these representatives about opportunities in other states.”

One such national employer is the U.S. Department of State as an important employer that many students overlook. He said the State Department can provide opportunities not just for those in political science, but for students of all majors. Magee said that the benefits for working for the State Department include higher pay and the opportunity to change locations

In last year’s cap and gown survey, an annual student survey taken at graduation, 39 to 40 percent of students said they had a job lined up and 12 percent indicated they were going to graduate school. In a follow up survey conducted six to nine months later, 72 percent of students said they were employed and 24 percent were in graduate school — Magee estimated about a 30 percent response rate on the follow up survey.

Over the past three years, the results of the cap and gown survey have remained fairly level. This year, Magee predicts an increase in graduate employment, citing a trend in surveys taken by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

In 2003-04, the number of college graduates recruited by corporations increased by 6 percent. This was a sharp turnaround from the steady 40 percent decline rate that had lasted since 2001.

Magee said students should arrive prepared, with an edited resume be ready to make a good impression on potential employers.

“Students should understand that the career fair is not a place where jobs are handed out to students. It is a place to make that first connection and learn how to follow up,” he said.