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For students looking to nab a full-time job or internship before classes let out, KU Career Services is hosting its second career fair of the semester.

The Just-in-Time Career Fair will take place from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursday in the Ballroom of the Kansas Union.

Career Services organized a second career fair for the first time ever this year in response to the struggling economy, said Cheryl Norwood, recruiting and alumni networks coordinator for Business Career Services in the School of Business.

“We have decided that with the poor economy, it would be in the students’ best interest to hold a last-minute career fair before graduation or summer break,” Norwood said in an e-mail.

Norwood said every employer attending the event was required to have either a full-time posting or an internship posting in KU Career Connections Web site.

“These employers will also benefit from this career fair because they are being able to market last-minute opportunities or unfilled positions at a very low cost,” Norwood said.

Nathan Mack, Lawrence senior, said he liked the idea that only companies that were hiring would be at the career fair. He said it would be disappointing to hit it off with an employer at a career fair just to find out they weren’t hiring.

“I would call it optimistic for students because when you go, you know people are actually looking for potential employees,” Mack said. “You can go in with a hopeful outlook because you know there is at least an opportunity.”

According to the Career Connections Web site, 37 companies are scheduled to be at the career fair. Employers include Enterprise Rent-a-Car to the Kansas City Wizards, Congressman Jerry Moran and the Peace Corps.

Dave Byrd-Stadler, employer relations coordinator with Business Career Services, said the idea for the inaugural Just-in-Time Career Fair came out of biweekly meetings that the various career centers on campus hold. He said they found students were having to work harder to find jobs than in past years. Career Services has planned the event since the beginning of the semester.

Byrd-Stadler said Career Services had no immediate plans to make the Just-in-Time Career Fair an annual event. He said the main goal of the career fair was to show students that although they may be frustrated, jobs in the difficult economy still existed and were still attainable.

“We’re giving a forum of 37 companies that want to hire college-age graduates,” Byrd-Stadler said. “There’s probably no better opportunity right before students leave KU to get that number of employers at a single event.”

— — Edited by Sonya English

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