Representatives of 99 organizations seeking employees will be on campus tonight for Workforce 2004 in the Alumni Memorial Union ballrooms.
Most of the organizations scheduled to appear between 4 and 8 p.m. are from the Milwaukee area, according to Career Services Center assistant director Maryann Desaulniers. There will also be many employers present from the Chicago area, like pharmaceutical producer Eli Lilly and Co.
"They are coming because they want to hire graduating seniors for full-time entry-level positions," Desaulniers said. "But students at the sophomore and junior level can also look for internships."
There are also several nonprofit organizations that will be present, like the Peace Corps and Easter Seals.
A list of organizations that will be at the fair is in the Workforce guidebook in the AMU and is also available online. According to Desaulniers, students should view the guidebook before the fair in order to know which organizations they are interested in.
"I think we've got something for everyone," Desaulniers said. She also encourages students to bring copies of their resume.
According to Desaulniers, seniors should dress semi-formally with a suit and a tie. Students seeking internships would not need to dress as formally.
"I don't care what job you're going for, (appearance) just makes such a better impression," she said.
Workforce 2004 is not open to the public, but recent graduates can attend.
Desaulniers said it is unlikely for alumni that graduated 15 to 20 years ago to find a job at this fair because most of the employers are looking to fill entry-level positions.
There is a base of businesses that return to the fair each year, Desaulniers said.
According to Carrie Kopischkie from the human resources department of engineering company Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer and Associates, Inc. a representative is present every year.
"We've been successful with the fair," she said. "We usually average about one hire each year."
Kopischkie will be at Workforce 2004 collecting resumes and discussing career opportunities. An engineer employed by Graef, Anhalt, Schloemer and Associates, Inc. will also be present to answer students' questions.
Human resources generalist Jennifer Dorcas of UMB Investment Services Group will also be present at the fair. She will also be collecting resumes for students, mainly for those people interested in being hired to work in the company's accounting and analyst area.
The annual event usually draws in about 1,100 to 1,300 students each year, 600 of which attend Marquette, Desaulniers said. Other attendees include students from St. Norbert's College, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Lawrence University, Alverno College and Beloit College.
The Career Services Center does not currently keep track of all students who are hired by employers from Workforce 2004, according to Desaulniers. She said keeping track of how many job opportunities resulted from the fair was a topic that the center wishes to address in the future.
The Career Services Center and the Wisconsin Independent and Private College Career Consortium sponsor the fair.
In addition to Workforce 2004, the Career Services Center is also responsible for the College-to-Work program and another job fair in the fall. The center also provides critique for resumes before students submit them for possible employment.