On Nov. 18, nine liberal arts schools and 55 employers participated in a job fair held at the Marriott Hotel downtown. On Wednesday, some students returned for interviews with employers who chose them from resumes that were submitted ahead of time.
Among the corporations that attended the fair were Household Bank/Beneficial, Kroger International, and Youth Villages.
Employers were handing out pens and speaking with hopeful students from colleges all over North Carolina, including Guilford, Pfeiffer, and Catawba. Short lines and the prospect of a job after graduation kept the students in good spirits.
“This fair was better than others [I’ve attended] … it gave me a feeling of being selective,” said Gwendolyn Brooks, a CCE student who is planning to graduate in May.
Brooks attended Tuesday and returned the next day for four interviews. She enjoyed the experience and said, “I met a lot of interesting students from other schools … I would like to live in Raleigh or Charlotte, and the other students from the schools in those areas were able to give me a perspective on how the job markets are there.”
Irene Harrington, Director of the Career Development Center at Guilford, said job fairs are important because “They afford [the students the opportunity] to do some networking, find out what the job market is like, and what employers are looking for.”
The job market in North Carolina has not been hopeful lately, but Harrington says that many of the employers are hiring, even in the bad economy. Some of those employers include Footaction USA, Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, and the Peace Corps.
Not all employers at the job fair were from North Carolina, however. There were many in attendance that came from other states such as Florida, Virginia, and West Virginia, looking for suitable candidates to fill open positions.
Corporations such as the Peace Corps and the Japan Exchange and Teaching Program were offering jobs out of the country.
There will also be a non-profit fair in the spring at Guilford. On March 19 over 50 employers will convene in the Alumni Gym to speak with interested students.
Anyone interested in resume help or career advice should contact the Career Development Center at 316-2314.
There are several people on staff who are available for information including Irene Harrington, the director, and Bonnie Krosse, a career counselor.