Eager students congregated Wednesday in the North Dome of the Joyce Center for the semi-annual business career fair. Recruiters from a wide range of companies, government agencies and non-profit organizations answered students' questions and accepted resumes.
Sarah Wieber, a 2000 Notre Dame graduate, was at the fair representing Motorola. Wieber praised the event as an opportunity to connect with potential new hires.
"It offers a variety of students with a variety of backgrounds," she said.
Fellow alumna Janie Alderete agreed, emphasizing the premium employers place on a Notre Dame degree.
"We're looking for fresh young talent, so we come to a top college for top students," she said.
Adam Adamson, a representative of Morgan Stanley, said he was looking for "young, bright, and energetic ND students."
He said that business has greatly increased since last year and that Morgan Stanley is looking for all majors.
Adamson is an avid believer in the success of Notre Dame students.
He said, "The CEO of Morgan Stanley is from Notre Dame, and ND students know how to have more fun then Ivys [League students]."
Firm wide, Morgan Stanley hopes to have ten or eleven Notre Dame students participate in the final interviews in New York.
Career Center director Lee Svete characterized the fair as a success, noting the increased participation of both students and employers.
"This is the most active recruiting I've seen since 2000," Svete said.
The fair featured 101 companies, up from about 90 last year.
Svete said student groups, including the marketing and finance clubs, helped organize the event.
He praised the new GoIRISH system, a Web-based tool that allows students to view job postings, submit resumes and schedule interviews online. "We've registered over 1900 students in three weeks," Svete said.
Several improvements were made to this year's fair, as well. The committee used an ID-scanning machine when students entered the fair, allowing it to track students' majors and year of graduation. With this new information, improvements can be made to expand the fair to better serve more students.
Several Notre Dame students said the career fair was a helpful experience.
"I'm trying to get exposure and see what the market is offering," said Andrei Sandu, a senior finance major.
Sophomore Michelle Young was enthusiastic after learning that her major in Chinese will help in obtaining an internship with the Central Intelligence Agency.
Not all students were headed to the realm of big business, however. Non-profit organizations, including Teach for America, hosted tables at the fair. Sarah Finch, a senior PLS major, said a Notre Dame education fits well with a service career.
"With an undergraduate education from Notre Dame, how can you expect someone not to commit themselves to a field where they're making a difference?" Finch said.
Matt Bramanti contributed to this article.
