With Thanksgiving quickly approaching, students are getting ready to face the inevitable "what are you doing with your life?" question from their parents and relatives. For Saint Mary's students, the answer to this question could be discovered tonight at the Showcase of Careers.
Held from 3-6 p.m. in the Reignbeaux Lounge of Le Mans Hall, more than 45 companies and organizations will be represented at the Showcase.
That is 15 more than were at last Year's fair.
"In putting this event together, we promoted the quality of the Saint Mary's students," said Jeff Roberts, the Director of the Center for Career Opportunities, as a reason for the increase in organizations present.
This strategy seemed to work, as nearly 50 percent of the groups represented tonight are new to the Saint Mary's community.
The Showcase of Careers is more than a job fair; it is a chance for students of all ages to search for internships, summer jobs and full-time employment. In addition to companies seeking new employees, graduate schools, business schools, Notre Dame Law School and volunteer organizations, such as Teach for America, will also be present at the Showcase.
"Our goal is to give students leads on internships and to help them transition to live after Saint Mary's," Roberts said. "About 20 different organizations are looking for interns, but the bulk of this is full-time work."
While there will be a multitude of companies who are sending representatives to man the various tables and talk to Saint Mary's women about the various opportunities they present, not all of the organizations represented are going to be available in person.
"Some corporations can't be here," said Roberts, "But students can drop off their resumes [to the Center for Career Opportunities]."
When it comes to speaking with the people who will be present, interview etiquette is very important. The dress code of the evening is business casual for those who just want to stop by and browse the selection of opportunities. However, for students with more serious ambitions, Roberts recommends wearing business attire.
While the Showcase is targeted toward students at Saint Mary's, students from Notre Dame and Holy Cross are more than welcome to attend the event as well.
"I'd love to see as many students as I can," said Roberts. "If the students that show up are engaged and talk to people, it might open up things they never thought of before."
