October 06, 2005

Agriculture career fair set for Oct. 11-12

by K.C. Jaehnig

CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Recruiters from at least 14 agriculture-related businesses will visit Southern Illinois University Carbondale Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 11 and 12, as part of the College of Agricultural Sciences newly resuscitated job fair.

The event kicks off at 6 p.m. Tuesday with a reception for the recruiters in Room 209 of the Agriculture Building.

“Our goal is to have a low-key session where everyone can mingle so that faculty, students and recruiters can get to know each other and build some relationships,” said Lucas D. Maxwell, coordinator of recruitment, retention and placement for the college.

Students planning to attend the reception should dress in business casual attire.

Recruiters from such companies as Growmark Inc., Archer Daniels Midland Co. and The Maschhoffs Inc. will man booths and tables from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. throughout the hallways of the Agriculture Building the following day. Companies are looking for workers in fields as varied as agronomy sales, conservation, financial services, forestry, geology, landscaping, mechanical engineering and the like. Several also will be looking for interns.

To visit with the recruiters, students must sign up for interactive membership with the University’s Career Services Office in Room B-204 of Woody Hall before the job fair takes place. The free membership allows students to take part in all on-campus interviews, create a credentials file, have their résumés reviewed and uploaded, and apply electronically for open positions. For more information on the process, visit the Career Services Web site at www.siu.edu/~ucs.

To save some time, Maxwell also can review résumés, although students will still need to register with Career Services before they can attend the fair. Those attending should dress professionally and bring several copies of their approved résumés.

For more information, call Maxwell at 618/453-3080 or 618/967-9501 or e-mail him at lmaxwell@siu.edu.

Meeting the career planning needs of students is among the goals of Southern at 150: Building Excellence Through Commitment, the blueprint for the development of the University by the time it celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2019.