For the 17th year, students – freshmen and post-grads alike – will flock to the Smith Memorial Student Union ballroom to see what career possibilities exist for their future, or their present.
Dee Thompson, director of Portland State’s Career Center, says Career Information Day is not a job fair. Rather, it’s a place for students at any stage in their academic careers to see what career opportunities are out there.
Thompson said most students aren’t fully aware of what they can do with their degrees and need to be reminded that their major isn’t their job title.
In fact, she added, "many businesses don’t care what your major is."
This year over 70 employers will cram into the Smith ballroom. Human resources and recruiting personnel will staff tables and answer questions from inquiring students.
Many students are shy about approaching the tables, Thompson said, but she emphasizes that the people staffing the tables know how to talk to students.
"They’ll engage students," Thompson assured.
Most companies are there to make students aware of possibilities, but some may be actively recruiting – so it’s not a bad idea to come armed with a few copies of your resum퀌�.
The Career Center has also organized two breakout panel sessions where students can get more intimate details about jobs in specific fields. This year the sessions focus on careers in media and communications and international jobs. They are held at 1 p.m. and noon, respectively.
The sessions are part of what Thompson emphasizes as the "information" the event intends to provide to students.
"It’s about learning what your options are," she said.
Some of the companies that will be present at this year’s fair include Avon, Bank of the West, Portland Police Bureau, the FBI, KGW (Channel 8), Metro/MERC, OHSU, the Oregonian and Tektronix, Inc.