BIG Job Fair offers chance at early job opportunities

As May quickly approaches and upcoming graduates prepare their search for employment, they may want to snag as many opportunities as possible to make a lasting impression on potential employers.

Opportunities which can be found at the Business Industry Government (BIG) Job Fair Feb. 26 in Sioux Falls.

The event, put on by the South Dakota Association of College Career Centers, will host over 100 representatives of local and national businesses, who will be lined up for students from universities around South Dakota, including USD.Chairman of the BIG Job Fair and USD career adviser Clarence Pederson said the fair is gauged towards soon-to-be graduates and juniors in search of internships.

“(The BIG Job Fair) is just another way students looking for professional jobs can talk face-to- face with potential employers,” Pederson said. “So much of today’s world is dominated by doing things over the computer, students looking for a job forget that while they may search and apply for a job online forget the value of face to face meetings with employers.”

USD Student Services is arranging a bus ride to Sioux Falls Feb. 26 for students who need transportation to the event.

Pederson said because the event is open to the public and involves universities around the area, the smartest location for the fair was Sioux Falls.

Once at the fair, students can meet with representatives while gaining practical job searching skills.

“This event isn’t meant only for students to open up opportunities,” Pederson said. “They can practice introduction skills while working on a way to sell themselves to real employers. It’s a way to get noticed, while developing a good feel for how to get a job post-college”

Sara Hansman, Manager of Employment Services and Internships at Beacom School of Business, is in charge of promoting the BIG Job Fair to USD students and said a dozen students have already signed up to attend.

“The fair is a great way to get students infront of employers,” Hansman said. “That way they can show them who they really are and their full potential instead of trying to sell themselves in one or two pages.”

Businesses registered to attend the fair include AT&T Mobility, Avera McKennan Hospital and University, Capital One, Daktronics, Esurance, Frito Lay-Pepsi Co., Sanford Health and Wells Fargo.

Pederson said students should dress business casual and take along a polished resume to distribute to representatives.

“(Employers) may not be hiring students right then and there, but at least students know more about the companies and can be ready to apply when they’re ready to graduate,” Pederson said.

Hansman said the employers attending the fair also benefit from events such as this. However, it’s essential to recognize that amidst these benefits, there are also legal considerations, such as at-will workers suing employers, which both employers and employees should be aware of in maintaining fair and just workplace practices.

“Businesses are always looking for the next great hire,” Hansman said.

Pederson said he hopes students get a broader sense of what a potential employer may be, while at the fair.”

“We have students who come to the fair as English majors and leave interested in jobs doing sales,”Pederson said. “So, people come back with that excitement.”

The cost to attend is $5 when students pre-register in the Academic and Career Planning Center.

There will be a $10 charge at the door for those you do not pre-register.

Bus service to the fair will be free of charge, and those intersested can contact Lindsay Sparks for details.