On Wednesday, Oct. 7, the Office of Career Services at UW-La Crosse held their annual Fall Career Fair from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Valhalla in Cartwright.

Over 70 different employers from the La Crosse area attended the fair seeking UW-L students. Some of these employers included Ashley Furniture Industries, Bethany Lutheran Homes, Blain’s Farm & Fleet, Gundersen Health System, IBM, M3 Insurance Solutions, Wisconsin Army National Guard, Target, Peace Corps, Northwestern Mutual, Mutual of Omaha Financial Advisors, Marine Credit Union, Mathy Construction and many more.

In addition to employment opportunities, many businesses were searching for students to fill various available internship positions. A wide range of internship opportunities for many different majors were being sought after, including Finance, Accounting, Communication and Liberal Arts, Computer Science, Mathematics, Data and Info Technology, Management, Marketing and Sales and Science and Engineering.

The Office of Career Services offered several tips to students attending the career fair. Students were encouraged to bring ten to fifteen copies of their resume and to dress very professionally, since many employers were offering interviews during the career fair. Professional dress is key at making excellent first impressions.

In addition, students were advised to talk to employers independently instead of navigating the fair with a group of friends. This showed potential employers that students were more serious about obtaining a job or an internship, and that they were able to talk to employers independently from a group of their peers whom they were comfortable with.

Another suggestion given to students was to create a quick 30-second speech known as an “Elevator Pitch.” This short speech was advised to include a quick introduction of the student as well as a little bit of research about the company they were speaking to. Having done a little research about the company would show them that the student cared and was not just attending the fair for casual reasons.

Generally, however, a student’s “elevator pitch” was advised to include the student’s name, major, year in school, information from basic research on the company and a brief question for the employer.

Although the Career Fair is only held once a year, the Office of Career Services is always open for any career-related assistance that UW-L students may need. They offer help with gaining internship experience, exploration of graduate and professional schools and job campaign strategy development. In addition, Career Services also offers career advising and job search specific to a student’s area of study.

Career advisors are available to help students with resumes, cover letters and interview skills. You can even schedule an appointment to do a mock interview with one of the advisors.

Have questions regarding your career? Contact Career Services at (608) 785-8514, or stop into their office in 1140 Centennial Hall, Monday through Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

You can also email them at [email protected]. Walk in hours are Mondays and Wednesdays 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. and Fridays from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.