The Career Fair is a time of anticipation at Michigan Tech—where the hard work put into polishing a resumé and exploring career options come into play.
Each year, thousands of students pour through the doors of the Student Development Complex (SDC) hoping to find a co-op, internship, or job experience with one of the many companies searching for Michigan Tech students.
This year, as usual, hundreds of students stood in line, armed with smiles, résumés, and handshakes. However, the atmosphere at this year’s fair was upbeat compared to the previous year, and the number of employer booths almost doubled. More than 180 companies were packed into the Multipurpose Room at the SDC, and they seemed to be hiring again—a big improvement from last year.
Some dedicated students, however, chose to represent the School of Business and Economics, even before they tried to land those coveted interviews, by hosting the third hospitality suite.
Student organizations, faculty, and staff of the School hosted the third hospitality suite this past semester. The suite provided the recruiters with food, beverages, and a chance to take a break from the busy Career Fair.
Although organized as a friendly service for company recruiters, the hospitality suite had another function for the School. Unfortunately, past Career Fairs have not always provided students with employers interested in recruiting business and economics majors. With hosting the suite, students and staff were afforded a chance to talk with recruiters about their jobs, the School, and the potential of getting an opportunity with their company.
“The hospitality suite was really busy when the companies were setting up,” said Stephanie Behrens, a marketing major with the American Marketing Association student chapter. “We introduced ourselves and the School, while recruiters took a few minutes to get ready before the Career Fair started.”
“We want them to know we exist and that we have quality students,” said senior accounting major Nicole White. She was sitting with fellow accounting senior Amanda Gimler and second-year marketing major Jackie Cowling, spreading the word about what the School can offer employers.
Another change to the Career Fair was the opportunity for employers who were interested in recruiting business and economics students to specify what type of students they were looking for by major code. In the past, the BSBA (Bachelor of Science in Business Administration) and BSE (Bachelor of Science in Economics) were the only options. is year, new codes like MKT for marketing majors, and FIN for finance majors, made it easier for employers to specify the types of students they need.
Networking for the business students within the hospitality suite quickly allowed them to learn the score, “Thirty-six companies looking for finance majors, thirty-two for marketing, and sixteen for accounting,” noted White.
At the end of the Career Fair, all participating School of Business and Economics students and staff agreed. The hospitality suite was a tremendous success in providing a service for recruiters, while also spreading the word about the School and affording crucial early networking opportunities for the many stellar business and economics students.
Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
