Students found answers to lingering questions about future endeavors at the Dixie State University Employment Fair.
The DSU Career Center held the event in the Gardner Center Ballroom Wednesday afternoon. Mingling between numerous rows of booths, students searched for information about summer jobs, internships and career fields.
Steve Bringhurst, Career Center executive director, said the employment fair’s success depended on booking a wide-range of organizations to participate. The diversity helped bolster interest and attracted more students than in previous years, he said.
“The purpose was to find a nice, diverse group of employers — some from inside the area and some from outside the area — and then it was trying to make a connection with the students to make sure they knew what was going on,” Bringhurst said.
Career Center representatives drew students in with incentives like a “best dressed” award. Bringhurst said the fair provided numerous avenues for students to leave with knowledge and connections.
“If the students are smart enough to look around until they find the right employer, then I think there is a good opportunity to make a connection to either get hired after they graduate or to an internship,” he said. “We’re just trying to give them opportunities. It’s also a great opportunity to network with a variety of employers.”
Officials from various organizations provided students with informational pamphlets and visual aids.
Colleen Goff, Bryce Canyon National Park information technology specialist, said students often hold certain perceptions about employment with entities like the National Park Service. However, the fair provided students and employers a chance to create a different dialogue.
Goff listed opportunities, ranging from labor on restoration projects to business administration. Kariann Atkin, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Utah match support specialist and events coordinator, said her employer’s purpose, volunteering, covers one of numerous benefits the fair offered.
“I think there are a lot of great opportunities,” Atkin said. “They’re offering free tax services, they’re offering internships, and they’re offering job positions … so I think there’s a lot here to offer a student.”
For students, the event offered both long-term and short-term advice that builds upon coursework.
Cortnie Coleman, a freshman psychology major from Coalville, discussed future opportunities with representatives from her desired career field. She said she garnered valuable information that could help for years to come — not just during college.
For further information about the DSU Career Center and its events, visit dixie.edu/career.
