Students dressed in business attire with stacks of resumes in hand mingled through tables of employers ranging from school districts to law enforcement at the winter semester job fair on Wednesday, March 21.

The fair featured 64 different employers, mostly those seeking full-time employees, and varied from school districts from places as far as Alaska, to law enforcement from here in the U.P. This wide range of employers drew in students from many areas of the NMU community, Katie Korpi, assistant director of Career Services said.

“This is a good opportunity for anyone if you’re just looking for a job eventually, or within the next year or so,” Korpi said. “Networking can lead to summer positions or internships, so it’s beneficial for students to build relationships with potential employers early.”

Senior outdoor recreation leadership and management major Deanna Leddic said she has been to every job fair since her freshman year, and is looking for seasonal employment to build her resume and lead to her future career. Since coming to these events, she is now more comfortable approaching employers, Leddic said.

“I’ve been coming to these year after year, so it’s definitely gotten easier,” Leddic said.
Senior outdoor recreation leadership and management major Kaylin Byer said she was looking for more practice with communication and professional experience.

“This is my first job fair and I’m a little more shy, so I’m hoping this will challenge me,” Byer said. “I’m interested in seeing all the different opportunities that are available and I’ve come here with an open mind.”

Employers are eager to connect with students and accept copies of their resumes to build these professional relationships that could lead to employment, Korpi said.

“This is the second job fair I’ve attended, I’m looking for a career in the military,” said Brody Priestap, a sophomore majoring in aviation maintenance and technology. “After the last job fair, I was hired out in Gwinn for the summer.”