1,500 check out the jobs at USU Career Fair

By Aaron Falk

March 10, 2006 | With job growth in Utah up 3.5 percent last year, creating more than 43,000 jobs in the Beehive State, last week's Career Fair was a chance for USU students to get their feet in the door of some of the nation's largest companies.

More than 1,500 students and recruiters from about 180 employers filled the second floor of the TSC for the university's 16th-annual Career Fair.

Employers looking to fill positions ranging from public relations to cheese innovation ensured no career path was overlooked.

"Our students get the employers here," said Randy Jensen, assistant director of Career Services.

"With the size and variety of the fair, I think we do it better than anybody around."

Regional recruiting director for Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Melissa Ceballos said the quality of applicants from Utah State keeps her company coming back to Logan. "There are some solid students there," she said. "We've had great success in the past. A lot of our hires come from Utah State."

Enterprise is the largest employer of new college graduates in the United States. Utah's job growth increase last year was more than double the national increase of 1.6 percent.

"What is good news is the job market is up and growing," Jensen said. "It's growing even more in Utah than it is nationally. The big message is there are more jobs out there than there have been in some time. Students need to realize that and take full advantage." Patrick Grewe, a senior majoring in international studies, was one of the USU students who took advantage of the fair.

"It's a good time to ask questions," he said. "But no one is jumping up and down to give you a job."

Overall, officials said the fair was a success.

"It went really well," Jennifer Loscher, assistant director of Career Services, said. "We had a number of large employers and, from what we've heard, they've been impressed with students -- the quantity and the quality."

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