Ryan Ashley

Over 40 representatives from local and out-of-town companies occupied their booths at the Central Career Fair to see what Central students had to offer last Thursday.

Companies such as Mt. Vernon and Seattle police departments, Walmart, Oberto Brands, The Gorge Amphitheatre and Amazon attended the event.

The event was held in the SURC Ballroom from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. and the room quickly became packed with eager Central students.

Those who had known of the event beforehand dressed professionally and carried print-outs of their resumes.

Career Services provided a student hospitality booth that allowed less prepared students to borrow formal attire, print out copies of resumes or cover letters, solve any bad breath issues with mints and get last-minute advice before heading into the packed ballroom.

For employers, colleges act as a resource for finding new talent or filling entry-level positions.

Shelley Cook, a recruiter for Carlisle Interconnect Technologies, attended the event in hopes of filling several positions for her company.

“I like [students’] ambition. And they’re fearless, so they’ll try almost anything in the work environment, and I like that,” Cook said.

Jeff Dowhaniuk, a police officer for the Mt. Vernon Police Department, said applicants must have at least 90 college credits, so colleges are a good place to recruit.

However, Dowhaniuk also said that some of the downsides to hiring the recently graduated are that they lack life experience or are too used to college life.

Tim McElravy, camp director for Lake Wenatchee YMCA Camp, said giving a good handshake and making eye contact gives a good first impression.

“Be aggressive, not necessarily aggressive like tackling me, but be interested,” McElravy said. “Come prepared.”

According to Cook, a good way to show interest is by sending thank you notes after interviews, even by email and polite inquiries about potential call backs.

Elizabeth Polluck, a corporate business manager for AWD Acosta, said that interviewees also need to do research about the company they are applying for.

“You can talk specifically about their business,” Polluck said. “And then, during the interview, as questions come up, you can relate comments back to something you’ve already talked about.”

Fiona Gardner, a sales representative for KXLE 95.3 FM, said there are some things on a resume that result in an automatic rejection.

Garder said that carelessness is one of the quickest ways to lose a future employer’s attention.

Things like typos imply a lack of attention to detail that employers would not want within their company.

Instead, Garder said to pay close attention to what you are writing, and to edit your grammar and spelling, while fill resumes with accomplishments.

Applicable achievements are things like internships, club involvement and other experiences that show initiative or leadership.