On Feb. 15, 2018, over 500 business students attended the Lubar Career Fair. The event gave attendees the opportunity to network and discuss career opportunities with prominent employers.
Over 70 employers reserved tables spanning the first three floors of Lubar Hall; recruiters hoped to meet business students interested in both internship and full-time employment opportunities. Rockwell Automation, Deloitte LLP, Harley-Davidson, U.S. Bank, and Northwestern Mutual were a few of the attending employers.
Recruiters met with students majoring in Accounting, Marketing, Supply Chain Management, Information Technology Management, Human Resources Management, and Finance.
Company representatives sought out future employees at the event.
“I’m looking to find connections for people that would have an interest in learning more about our company and our industry (being insurance.) I’m here to make those connections, and find potential hires for our company,” said Joei Vander Kooy, a Talent Specialist from Church Mutual. “It’s been amazing. The students are well prepared. There’s a really good variety of different backgrounds and areas that they’re looking to get into.”
By working with the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee graduates, companies learn what to expect of current students. “We have several people within our organization who are UW-Milwaukee alumni and we have found that you have a lot of programs that are aligned with our company,” said Vander Kooy. Local companies can then base employment opportunities on the vigor of UW-Milwaukee’s coursework and students’ experiences.
Students prepared their resumes and dressed in business professional attire for the event. Many attendees strived to make a good first impression with the recruiters, as they were eager to learn about employment opportunities and the businesses themselves. According to Greg Krejci, director of Lubar’s Career Services, 573 students were registered attendees of the career fair.
Although many companies focus their recruitment towards upper-level students, the event also provided an opportunity for freshmen and sophomores to network with prospective employers. Attending career fairs is helps students discover what company they may want to work for after graduating.
“The Lubar Career Fair is especially cool because it’s all targeted towards business students; there are many internships and jobs for every major,” said Mariah Kretz, a Junior in the business school. “I think it is really beneficial to build up your network – in business, it’s all about who you know.”
This year’s fair was Kretz’s second time attending the event. “This year we had a great student turnout, and had many employers come as well.”
Event preparation began months in advance for Lubar’s Career Planning and Resource Center. Diverse employers also gathered for a career fair preparation panel on Feb. 1, 2018. Additionally, the event’s sponsor reviewed student resumes to help stand out among other attendees.
The Sheldon B. Lubar School of Business’s annual career fair occurs each spring semester.