Douglas' firm will be among 100 represented at this week's three-day Big Sky Career Fair at the University of Montana.
“The employee we hired has a strong work ethic,” Douglas said via telephone from his offices in Portland, Ore. “He is willing to work hard, and he set up and worked to achieve goals both independently and for the company.”
This year's career fair is slated to bring an especially wide array of employers, said Daphne Felker, program manager for UM's Office of Career Services, which is hosting the event.
“This career fair is for all disciplines, all majors across the campus,” she said.
Employers large and small will be flocking to the fair, which last year brought in nearly 900 students looking for internships, volunteer positions, summer jobs, and part-time and full-time work. From accounting to health services, computer science and retail, nearly every career path will be represented.
Missing from the lineup will be some traditional supporters, such as Stimson Lumber Co. and Kmart Corp. However, their booths are being filled with new entries, such as the Anchorage Police Department, which is looking to fill several new positions and will be asking candidates to take a written exam and a fitness test.
For those not considering out-of-state employment, the Montana Highway Patrol is also recruiting, as is Bed Bath & Beyond, which recently opened a new retail location in Missoula near Southgate Mall.
Even workers who aren't looking for a full-fledged career can explore summer employment options with outfits like Glacier Raft Co., the Resort at Paws Up and Lone Mountain Ranch.
“We try to do a lot of outreach,” Felker said. “We try to reach as many possible places as we can to get the students the best possible overview of what's happening and to bring them here.”
In fact, Career Services sent out nearly 12,000 invitations to employers this year, and received responses from across the nation.
“The more opportunities for employment the better it is for the students,” Felker said.
Regardless of their employment hopes, students and alumni should take advance of the free opportunity to practice their interviewing skills and hone their networking know-how, she said.
Would-be workers can prepare for the career fair by attending one of several employer-led workshops Tuesday evening. These workshops will provide tips and techniques on finding and landing the right job, and will help students make the most of the career fair, Felker said.
“There's just a ton of workshops out there that really would benefit students of all disciplines, and these are skills that would benefit you throughout your lifetime,” she said.
In fact, she added, the workshops will even include time to socialize because “learning how to network is a critical skill.”
The third day of the career fair will be set aside for employers to conduct one-on-one interviews with prospective employees.
Employers are already posting available positions on the University's e-Griz recruiting site, where students can sign up for interviews prior to the career fair, Felker said, and employers will also schedule interviews with qualified candidates they meet during the career fair.
She expects they won't leave disappointed.
“Students at this university have fantastic work ethics,” Felker said. “We've heard that over and over from employers.”
Reporter Tyler Christensen can be reached at 523-5215 or at tyler.christensen@lee.net
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