Tuesday, October 13, 2009

2009 EAS career fair set to connect job seekers with employers

More than 55 employers have signed up for the 2009 Engineering and Applied Sciences [EAS] Career Day. It’s set for Thurs., Oct. 22, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Parkview Campus. The event is free and open to the public. Name tags and a layout to find employers will be available at the sign-in table as early as 8 a.m.

Nicole Maggio, career advisor for CEAS and assistant director for Career and Student Employment Services, is coordinating the day and several related events to link internship, co-op and full-time job seekers with local, regional, national and international employers.

Post Foods, LLC, is sponsoring this year’s fair. The Battle Creek company has been making cereal and related products since 1895 and has been an active partner with the University. “Post has been very supportive of our [CEAS] engineering students,” Maggio said.

imagePost Foods is the 2009 EAS Career Fair sponsor.  In this photo from our archives, CEAS Post interns Josh Wiese (left) and Alex Hiday, who are now CEAS alumns, discussed employment activities with  job seekers at last year’s EAS Career Fair.

New to this year’s career fair are formal presentations by several employers every 30 minutes from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Maggio said the concept has been introduced to encourage freshmen and sophomores to engage earlier in the career development process. “This may help introduce opportunities to students in a way that they can build up to networking with the representatives,” she said.

In addition to Post Foods, representatives from Kohler, Amway, Stryker, Sircon, Parker Hannifin and more will share information about and prospects for employment at their respective companies.
On Fri., Oct. 23, follow-up campus interviews are planned by 14 of the 55 companies featured at the career fair.

Students looking for full-or part-time, intern, or co-op positions are encouraged to dress appropriately and to bring copies of their resumes and notepads to collect information. “We’re encouraging students to wear formal professional business suits,” Maggio said.

Maggio encourages job seekers to review the list of employers and research those of interest ahead of time. All employers registered are identified on the Web site. Employers have until the day before the event to sign up. “As they register, the employers are added to our Web site in real-time,” Maggio said. To view registered employers and/or to register as an employer, one can log on to www.wmich.edu/career and click on Broncojobs.

Two workshops offered students career fair preparation ideas. “The sessions focused on cover letter and resume development, professional dress expectations, and interview tips,” Maggio said. The informal workshops included group exercises.”

Assistance in resume preparation is also available during drop-in office hours in the Advising Suite at Parkview: Tuesday and Thursday – 12:30­ 3:30 p.m. Additional hours are available on the main campus. Students can also call (269) 387-2745 for an appointment.

Maggio, who is coordinating the annual event for the first time, credited several registered student organizations and student assistants for their support. These include AICHE, SPE, SME, GAS, Alyssa Schafer, CEAS peer educator, Danielle Boyd, engineering employer student coordinator, and Jasen Ratajczak, CEAS industry research educator. For more info, call (269) 387-2745 or go to www.wmich.edu/career