Career Information Day 2003 draws employers

The 15th Annual Career Information Day, a gathering of over 70 companies from different interests and fields was held Wednesday. Students could be found thronging resumes and lists of questions revolving around job opportunities in Oregon and beyond.

Kristen Shaw, intern recruiter from Micron Technologies, said this was a great opportunity for students to keep in touch with the latest openings in her company.

“We have had a consistent recruitment rate and have not been much affected by the economic slump,” Shaw said. “We have a lot of openings in our Research and Development Department and are looking forward to offering internships for students.”

David Gross, a recruiter from the U.S Forest Service said that his department was there to recruit students for a Student Career Experience Program.

Nikki Neal, director and clinical instructor for Danville Services of Oregon hoped to find some candidates for their nursing programs. Being a growing company, she commented that students can look forward to a recruitment spree in the coming months.

Wells Fargo, which is known for its student friendly policies, was there to further its bond with the student community.

Representatives from the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office said they had come mainly to interact with students apart from good publicity.

Richard Jardin, Recruiting and Retention Unit of the Oregon National Guard said his department’s presence was for some exposure and recruitment.

Jason Hermann, deputy sheriff, Washington County Sheriff’s Office voiced his department’s concern over the growing crime rate. He was anticipating a few eligible candidates for jobs, especially for the reserve sector.

Delai Lopez, human resource specialist with Immigration and Naturalization Services (INS) said she was there to meet with students and also clarify a few common misconceptions that were prevalent among the international student community. She mentioned the INS was one of the six agencies to be absorbed by Homeland Security in the coming weeks and many changes were in the making, necessitating her department’s presence.

All federally funded agencies in attendance said job openings in their respective departments were bountiful due to the “recruitment freeze” in most of the other industries.

Most companies expressed pleasure over the favorable response and opined that they are looking forward to more such events.

The appreciation from the students’ side was mixed.

Joy Halo, a major in economics said that she was here to get more information about the job scenario.

Jelly Mandela, an international student, criticized the event as a “complete waste of time,” as many recruiters wanted only U.S. citizens.

Giorgia Vergnani from International Studies expressed disappointment, as she was expecting some thing more relevant to her field.

Latha Rao, an international student completing her masters in electrical engineering said the event gave an excellent opportunity to get to know about potential recruiters in the coming months.