UNI’s semi-annual Career Fair took place in the McLeod Center on Monday, Feb. 17 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Students were able to network with over 170 organizations and explore potential jobs, internships, volunteer opportunities and graduate programs.

Some students were visiting the fair for the first time on Monday while others were seasoned attendees. Senior accounting major Evan Dosedel, who said it was his fifth or sixth time at the fair, encouraged students who might be nervous about the event to step out of their comfort zone.

“Always come,” he said. “Just get comfortable with walking around and talking to people and know beforehand who you want to talk to so you can plan that out.”

Lance Gesell, who was representing Menards at the fair, also recommended students have a plan.

“Have an idea on what you’re looking for as far as direction with a company,” he said. “Have some goals set for yourself to talk about.”

The quality Gesell looks for most in potential job candidates is an outgoing personality. Another job recruiter, Rachel Boyle, cited the importance of leadership and communication skills.

“Go out of your comfort zone and just talk to [job recruiters] because you never know who knows someone or has a connection, and you can really go way farther than if you were just to stay in and not go out of your comfort zone,” said Boyle, who is an HR Generalist at VT Industries.

Even though he has been to several career fairs, Dosedel said each experience has better taught him what recruiters are looking for and how to interact with them well.

“[I enjoy] learning about all the different positions available and then the opportunities that I had no idea were even out there,” he said. “Talking to people can lead to new things you didn’t know about.”

UNI Career Services provides various resources for students seeking employment, advice or simply direction in their future. Their office is located at 102 Gilchrist Hall, and more information can be found at careerservices.uni.edu.