Students get a taste of the future at Career Fest

UB's annual job fair in the Center for the Arts helped steer students towards opportunities for internships and jobs on Wednesday, with recruiters from more than 50 local, statewide and national employers.

The companies that packed into the CFA ranged from Ferguson, the country's largest wholesale distributor, to Kaplan Test Prep and Admissions, a provider of educational and career services for individuals, schools and businesses.

Amajaraya Hunter, a freshman undecided major, attended the event for a class assignment but walked away with a better understanding of the opportunities out there, she said.

"The fest was a great way for students to learn more about their career interests by talking with companies," Hunter said. "This is a great event to be held because it gives students tips and ideas on how to get jobs and internships. I feel that every student should attend this event to get a better understanding of who they are and what they want to do after they graduate from UB."

Jaye McLeod, a member of the women's hockey team who volunteered at the event, said it was a great way to do community service while interacting with the student body at the same time.

"It's exciting to be here because we are helping UB, promoting the women's hockey team, and learning about jobs and internships all at once," said McLeod, a junior social sciences major. "It's great that there are so many opportunities for students at UB."

Graduate student Trupti DevdasNayak said he wished there had been more of a variety of companies at the fair.

"There really are not a great deal of companies that relate to my field of study," said Nayak, a computer science and engineering major, at the fair. "I hope in the future UB considers bringing a wider variety of companies to the campus. The greater number of companies that come to UB, with numerous locations, will give students the chance to really shine in what they actually want to pursue after college life."

While some attendants gathered applications for summer jobs, other students said they were looking for more long-range opportunities following their expected graduation date.

"Although the job and internship companies that took part in the Career Fest are few in selection, I still got to converse with many companies and I received a few pointers about applying for jobs," Nayak said. "Even though I might not find a job that suits my interests at the fest, I know that something good will still come out of the whole experience."