It may have been a dark and stormy night outside, but inside the rooms were abuzz with warm conversation as scores of corporate recruiters and students mingled at the ODI Career Day event at Ohio Stadium on October 18.
Nearly 80 companies and more than 200 ODI Scholars participated in the evening networking event held in the suite area of the iconic Horseshoe. As recruiters in company pullovers stood behind tables loaded with swag—Cintas coozie anyone?—students armed with fresh resumes sought to make a sharp impression in professional attire.
Chatting with recruiters at the Goodyear table about summer internship possibilities was Elijah Thomas, a Morrill Scholar in his third year of studying industrial systems engineering. “This is all about networking and building up contacts for the future,” said Thomas, crisply dressed in a suit and tie. “I'm just following up with them to see what type of roles are available this summer.”
As the ODI Scholars worked their way through several rooms at the sprawling event, dozens also made a stop in a nearby hallway to take advantage of professional head shots being offered free of charge.
Alloria Wright, diversity recruiting coordinator for Kimball Midwest, a Columbus-area distributor of Maintenance, Repair and Operations products, said the big turnout despite the bad weather was impressive. “We're so excited to enhance our candidate pool,” said Wright. “This event really speaks to our desire to find our way into more inclusive spaces.”
Diversifying the type of companies to reflect a broader range of career possibilities was a primary goal for organizers, according to Abby Kincaid, a program specialist for ODI's Career Readiness Initiatives and Special Programming team. “We really tried to listen to the students and find companies that they wanted to see at the fair,” she said.
While the evening's Career Fair was the signature event of the day, a dozen companies were slated to return the following day to conduct job interviews with students who had caught their eye.
Social work major DeAsia Moore, a Young Scholar in her second year, said she was surprised by the breadth of companies at the event as she explored her options. “I'm excited about how many social work opportunities there were,” she said. “They seem like they really wanted us. I was here just exploring what was out there.”
At the top of Moore's interest list—the Teach for America program. “I'm definitely going to follow up with them,” she said as she left the event with a bag bulging with assorted corporate giveaways.