Each semester, hundreds of students suit up and shake hands at the C. T. Bauer College of Business Career Fair, hosted by the Rockwell Career Center (RCC).

From freshmen to upperclassmen, the Career Fair offers business students face time with top employers looking to hire. Students ranging in classification shared how they prepared to meet recruiters and how they plan to achieve their professional goals.

Testing the Waters

For weeks, the Career Fair has been top of mind for many Bauer College students who meet with RCC career coaches weekly.

As a Bauer rite of passage, all undergraduate students must take the required course “Connecting Bauer to Business” (BUSI 3302). The class is taught by RCC staff and is typically taken earlier on in students’ college careers. Throughout the semester, instructors establish the building blocks of professional development.

Leading up to the Career Fair, BUSI 3302 instructors review networking tips and encourage all students to attend the event.

Management Information Systems sophomore Morrighan Stewart is taking the class this semester and attending Career Fair for the first time this spring. At the event, she said she wanted to practice engaging with recruiters.

“Anyone would like to get an internship, but networking is key if you want to make connections and learn what the company is about,” Stewart said.

Throughout BUSI 3302, Stewart said she has become more confident, practicing networking techniques in and out of professional environments.

“The one thing I've learned this semester is that when it comes to pushing yourself out of your comfort zones, it's not that hard,” she said. “You get to meet with the career coaches that help you along the way. That's a gift.”

Morrighan Stewart, MIS

Morrighan Stewart, MIS

Haniya Rizvi, Finance

Haniya Rizvi, Finance

Finance junior Haniya Rizvi is also a current BUSI 3302 student. While this was her second Career Fair, Rizvi said she felt much more confident after spending weeks preparing in class.

“We did résumé reviews, and I have mine that I prepped with the Bauer template they provided,” Rizvi said. “We also reviewed different closers to use in conversation with employers and recruiters. It made me feel a lot more comfortable.”

Rizvi said she hopes connections made at this semester’s Career Fair will lead to a summer internship.

“I did do a lot of my research on the companies that I’m interested in working for,” she said. “I’m ready to use the skills I’ve learned.”

Diving in the Deep

It is practically every senior’s dream to secure a full-time job by the time they graduate. Fortunately, the Career Fair offers the perfect opportunity for Bauer students to connect with employers and build those valuable connections that are essential in today’s job market.

Graduating seniors have a bit more experience when it comes to Career Fair. They’ve passed BUSI 3302 and have a better idea of what to expect. They come prepared with polished résumés, clean pressed suits and a game plan.

Finance senior Alan Sutuj started to prepare for Career Fair a week in advance. He downloaded the Career Fair Plus app and researched information on all the different companies he was interested in that were related to his major.

He looked into organizations’ culture and values. Additionally, he researched potential positions that would be open so he could ask specific questions to recruiters.

“I want to make a good impact on employers,” Sutuj said. “I believe that if you focus on being genuine and kind that leaves the best impression.”

He said he is excited to graduate in the spring and plans to give back to his community as much as possible. One way that he has prepared for this is by taking Bauer financial literacy courses so that he can pass that knowledge onto his parents who have their own small businesses.

“I hope I can implement those skills right after college,” Sutaj said.

His goal is to have a full-time job or internship before he graduates, but at the very least, he wants to have developed a good relationship with recruiters at the spring Career Fair, he said.

Networking is half the battle, and having a point of contact with these companies opens the door to discuss future opportunities.

Alan Sutuj, Finance

Alan Sutuj, Finance

Sanaz Bekhradi, Supply chain management

Sanaz Bekhradi, Supply chain management

Supply chain management senior Sanaz Bekhradi's plan was to keep an open mind and talk to as many recruiters as possible. She said she is walking into Career Fair with one simple goal: to leave with either an internship or a full-time position.

Bekhradi researched the companies she was interested in, upgraded her résumé and prepared her pitch.

“Getting to know people who work for the company is also another priority,” she said. “There are so many recruiters that I’m looking forward to talking to. Learning more about their culture is what excites me the most.”

Graduation is something that Bekhradi has been working toward for years, she said, so to finally reach this point feels like an accomplishment.