Fall Career Day a success

Booths filled the competition and recreational gymnasiums of the Student Rec Center and spilled out into the juice lab seating area and hallways as employers visited the Colorado School of Mines for Fall Career Day this Tuesday. The event was one of the largest in CSM history with over 200 companies in attendance. These companies represented many industries – everything from energy, petroleum, and mining to aerospace, finance, and governmental organizations.

Potential applicants and company representatives were gathered throughout the building discussing what companies were doing and what applicants had to offer. This was especially true for companies that brought along employees who were CSM graduates. Having shared many of the same experiences, it was very easy for applicants to connect with the recruiters on a personal level and to find out how their academic studies applied to the real world. Both recruiters and applicants, it seemed, really wanted to make the most of the Career Day experience.

Employers seemed truly excited to be on campus. Tetra Tech representative Kim Attea said, “Mines has strong students in the disciplines we hire in,” and added that the company had been present at every Career Day, showing the value they place in the event and in CSM students. This excitement was further evidenced by signs on several booths proclaiming messages like “Wanted: Electricals,” and the eagerness with which recruiters engaged job hopefuls.

Junior Colin Downs said, “Most opportunities were in petroleum and mining.” Many of the larger and more prominent booths were occupied by major players in these industries such as BP and Shell, but there were still a number of smaller companies, many engaged in highly specialized fields. Stolle Machinery, which designs and builds machines that make aluminum cans, was attending Career Day for the first time and brought two recent CSM graduates to talk with job seekers.

Even companies not directly involved in science or engineering received many inquiries. However, certain booths were more popular than others. Ball Aerospace, for example, had three representatives, but always had a line of eight or nine job-seekers waiting to meet with them.

Many visiting companies were giving out a crowd-pleasing assortment of promotional items ranging from the traditional pens, carabiners, and foam toys to USB lights, high-tech collapsible water bottles, and computer speakers.

The abundance of potential employers was met with an equally good showing by students, alumni, and staff. Junior Charley Kruse felt the event was the “most well attended” he had seen, and added, “It looks like the job market is starting to pick up.” The event was a success for a wide range of students, even for those that had never visited before. Freshman Jack Schlenker said, “Even if you are a freshman, companies will still talk to you,” and Senior Jeri Jessop commented that it was a “good way to get to know what different companies are looking for your major.”

Even though the 2011 Career Day was among the largest ever, one former student felt the event’s culture had remained the same. Said 2009 graduate Daniel Kuntz, “[Career Day] hasn’t changed since I was an undergraduate.” Given the number of companies in attendance and their enthusiasm, this does not seem to be a problem.