Tuesday and Wednesday will see the Top of the Hop transformed into a bustling center for schmoozing as 100 private corporations, nonprofits and government employers set up shop for Career Services' annual Employer Connection Fair. About 800 students are expected to attend each day, as in recent years.
Career Services tries to present a broad array of prospecive employers to students by inviting all organizations that have expressed interest in attending from year to year, but resource limitations are often responsible for narrowing the selection to larger firms.
The fair will feature a relatively small number of non-profit organizations as a result. Over 280 nonprofits were contacted in the planning stages of the event, but only 25 will attend. Only five government employers will join them.
The purpose of the fair is for students to meet employers and learn about job and internship opportunities. Students can test drive their interviewing skills as they network with recruiters and build contacts for entry-level positions.
The fair is not intended to be a resume collection event, said Monica Wilson, assistant director of employer relations at Career Services. Students are not prohibited from bringing a resume, but they are not required or expected.
"We specifically tell employers not to ask for resumes," Wilson said. "We do not want students to feel that if they don't have a resume they're behind the curve."
Students are, however, encouraged to give employers their contact information, she added.
For some small firms, the fair is used mainly to drive attention to the company, said Jane Lannon '96, vice president and head of internal operations at Investor Group Services. For the small consulting firm of 30 employees, the event is the only practical way to get its name out to Dartmouth students. Two of the four employees the company hired last year came from Dartmouth. Lannon described the fair as a "low-risk way for students to learn more about companies. It's OK to just walk up and start a conversation."
The fair is also a way to introduce students to positions that they may not have known existed, said Jonathan Ball, director of recruitment at Carney Sandoe & Associates. The firm helps place teachers in K-12 positions across the country and has over 100 students stop by for a conversation each year.
"The most rewarding thing about my job are the kids who say to me, 'I didn't know I had this opportunity before I talked to you.'" Ball said.
On average, his firm helps between five and eight seniors find teaching positions each year.
