The 18th annual Anderson Schools of Management career fair drew 60 companies, including five newcomers, to the SUB ballroom yesterday.
Drew Parsons, manager of Academic Advisement and Placement at Anderson, said in slow economic times, it's important for students to attend the career fair because it provides them with opportunities.
Parsons said the career fair offers many different types of experiences to different students at all levels. He said freshman and sophomores should be looking into exploring options and getting to know the career market early. He said it offers internships to juniors and first-semester seniors. And to the upcoming graduates seeking employment, Parsons said the career fair offers them vital career choices.
"I think people need to wake up and make sure they go even if they are not in the immediate job market. It's just a good thing to do," Parsons said.
Local and national businesses and organizations had recruiters at the fair, including Mervyn's, IBM, Intel, Chevron and Gap, Inc.
Jaime Dyer, on-site representative for Gap Inc, said the company relies on university career fairs to recruit many of its employees and that the Gap is a popular company among students because it is well known.
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"We're trying to really partner with Anderson, especially the finance and business schools, trying to bring in a lot of grads and that sort of thing," Dyer said.
Dyer said Gap Inc. has had a finance center in Albuquerque for about two years, but students still think to work in a high level financial position they would have to move to San Francisco, the site of the businesses headquarters.
"Our national finance center is here (Albuquerque)," Dyer said. " So I think we're really starting to get out into the community, people are starting to realize that we're here."
Many students who were not exactly looking to start their careers just yet were in attendance at the career fair to explore future possibilities.
Most of the recruiters attending the event said students knew what they were looking for in each company and really just wanted to see what opportunities were out there.
Laura Malinasky, representative for Ortho-McNeil Pharmaceuticals said she was surprised the majority of students she spoke with knew what they are looking for.
"There are a lot of older students here that are very interested," Malinasky said. "They know exactly what they want."
Parsons said the most popular companies attending the fairs are usually Intel and any of the many pharmaceutical companies who had representatives on hand.
Parsons said recruiters were impressed with the new SUB facilities. He said the new environment improved the atmosphere from that of Johnson Gym, where the University's bi-annual career fairs were previously organized.
"Not to disparage the Johnson Gym, they did a good job for us, but I think it's just adding to the atmosphere, the professionalism and the recruiters were impressed with the UNM facilities," Parson said.
