The Ball State Fall Career Fair was held Wednesday in the middle of a sluggish economic rebound, serving as an opportunity for students as well as alumni to meet directly with potential employers.
Kerry England, a Ball State alumnus, returned to the fair after leaving a job years after graduation.
"About 10 years ago, I found a job through Ball State's Career Fair," England said. "I wanted to see if it works as well for alumni as it did for me then."
England said while many of the businesses were more internship-oriented, he did make some useful contacts and intends to follow up on them.
According to the Ball State Career Center, attendance for the fair was up this year compared to previous years, attracting 650 students and 120 businesses.
Representatives from companies were overall impressed by the students with whom they interacted.
"Ball State is one of our top schools we recruit at," said Heather Kahl of car rental company Enterprise Holdings. "We find a lot of qualified students at Ball State."
Elizabeth Troy of Astral Industries said most of the students she spoke with seemed prepared but felt some could work on their first impressions.
"It's like a first date," she said. "If they really work on that presentation piece, they'd go farther faster."
Students who did prior research on the companies stood out most, she added.
Troy said she also was concerned students weren't totally aware of the opportunities Astral and the other employers could offer.
"They don't know we're looking for them," she said. "Sometimes you can find a way to say, 'We might be able to help you.'"
While staff and representatives were generally positive about the event's turnout, Sallie Mae recruiter Sara Reasoner had hoped for a bit more.
"[The turnout] could've been better, but it's nice to have the opportunity," Reasoner said.
Mallory Sturgeon, a senior public relations student, felt her major wasn't as popular among the companies present, though she wasn't discouraged.
"Ultimately I'd like to get a job, but it's also good practice [for interviews and job searching]," Sturgeon said.
Although some students may have had trouble connecting with employers, by the end of the day, many said they had found candidates to fill their position.
"I'm looking at a young lady who'd be for managing a junior engineering project," said Troy, who also will offer internships in sales and human resources.
Troy said Astral came to Ball State because of its curriculum and the focus on applications.
"Ball State is invested in getting people started on a career," she said. "I think Ball State has a leg up on other colleges."
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