Ryan Ashley

Over 40 representatives from local and not-so-local companies turned up to see what students had to offer at Central’s Career Services career fair last Thursday.

The companies that attended the fair included the Mt. Vernon and Seattle police departments, Walmart, Oberto Brands, The Gorge Amphitheatre, and Amazon.

The event was held in the SURC Ballroom from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. and was quickly filled to the brim with eager Central students.

Some, who had perhaps known of the event beforehand, dressed smartly and carried print-outs of their resumes.

Career Services provided a student hospitality booth that allowed 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 great 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 [student’s] 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 there are some downsides to hiring the recently graduated.

“They don’t have a lot of life experience,” Dowhaniuk said. “Or sometimes, students could over-experience the college life… low maturity is sometimes the biggest part of it.”

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.”

But students can do prepare, even before the interview, Fiona Gardner, sales representative for KXLE 95.3 FM, said there are some things on a resume that result in automatic no’s that can be easily fixed

Gardner said things like types of incorrect grammar can cause a potential employer to put your resume in the no pile. Take time combing through your resume and work history to make sure that there are no errors.