The Memorial Union was bustling with activity Tuesday, Feb. 4, and Wednesday, Feb. 5, as students of all majors gathered to attend the University of North Dakota’s annual Spring Career Expo.
The two-day event, held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Memorial Union Ballroom, is meant to serve as an opportunity for participating students to learn about and connect with companies and recruiters from a wide variety of industries, typically with hopes of obtaining a job or internship.
“I came here to find a mechanical engineering internship for this summer,” Tate Baudin, a junior majoring in Biomechanical Engineering, said.
“Last semester I was able to get some employment out of this [Expo], I got an internship,” Student Body President Connor Fergeson said.
Even for those who were not actively seeking employment, the event was still an excellent place for students to learn how to interact with potential employers.
“I think it’s a great way to network and practice your people and business professional skills,” Jasmine Schmitz, a junior majoring in both Graphic Design and Marketing, said.
This sentiment was shared by more than just the students; recruiters representing various companies agreed that career expos are a good place for students to develop soft skills, such as communication and professionalism.
“I think [the Expo] is a great idea to meet and mingle with employers,” Emma Wente, who represented both Superior Industries and Westmor Industries at the expo, said. “I don’t think students put a lot of stock in their personal brand right away, but what I think is super important to remember is every interaction you have with a company, you’re already building that brand.”
The Expo also allows students to see firsthand the true breadth of career options in their chosen industries, many of which they may never have even thought about.
“From a lot of the conversations I’ve had, [students] are not fully aware of the opportunities that are associated with their disciplines and their majors,” Leif Schonteich, a Senior Associate at Terracon Consultants Incorporated, said. “So, I think just by them going around and exploring, talking to different employers that are around here, they might have some new ideas that they maybe haven’t considered.”
“We have communications departments, cyber security, and a printing company that works within our office. There’s a variety of things that I think people don’t realize our company in particular does, and I think it’s the same with other companies that show up here,” Marty Berlinger, a Senior Network Engineer at Otter Tail Power Company, said. “Each company has a variety of positions, and they can be more interesting than people think initially.”
“We have a wide variety of career opportunities for students who are interested in agricultural finance and business-related services,” Kaitlin Worms, a Credit Officer with AgCountry Farm Credit Services, said. “We’ve got quite a variety of opportunities for students.”
AgCountry is just one of a handful of companies in attendance that served as sponsors for the whole event, a list that includes Superior Industries, Westmor Industries, West Fargo Public Schools, and several others.
“The reason we decided to sponsor this event is because we’re super passionate about working with students who are excited about engineering opportunities, and we see value in education and getting to know the students more,” Emma Wente said. “So, any way we can get our name out there in front of students and [have them] hear about our opportunities, we love to do that.”
While the 169 different organizations present were assembled from all across the United States, there was still a tangible sense of UND spirit, especially from alumni recruiters eager to discover new talent from their alma mater.
“A bunch of us [attended] UND, so we’re alumni, and we’re trying to recruit out of a known source of good talent,” Leif Schonteich said.
“I’m an alumni from 2005, and UND will always be a special place to me,” David Wisthoff, who represented Bismarck Public Schools, said. “To get the opportunity to come back and see the next generation, it’s exciting to see the young people that are here.” interesting than people think initially.”
“We have a wide variety of career opportunities for students who are interested in agricultural finance and business-related services,” said Kaitlin Worms, a Credit Officer with AgCountry Farm Credit Services. “We’ve got quite a variety of opportunities for students.”
AgCountry is just one of a handful of companies in attendance that served as sponsors for the whole event, a list that includes Superior Industries, Westmor Industries, West Fargo Public Schools, and several others.
“The reason we decided to sponsor this event is because we’re super passionate about working with students who are excited about engineering opportunities, and we see value in education and getting to know the students more,” said Emma Wente. “So, any way we can get our name out there in front of students, and [have them] hear about our opportunities, we love to do that.”
While the 169 different organizations present were assembled from all across the United States, there was still a tangible sense of UND spirit, especially from alumni recruiters eager to discover new talent from their alma mater.
“A bunch of us [attended] UND, so we’re alumni, and we’re trying to recruit out of a known source of good talent,” said Leif Schonteich.
“I’m an alumni from 2005, and UND will always be a special place to me,” said David Wisthoff, who represented Bismarck Public Schools. “To get the opportunity to come back and see the next generation, it’s exciting to see the young people that are here.”
Quinn Berg is a Dakota Student General Reporter. He can be reached at [email protected].
