“When I asked employers how students did, the first word out of their mouth was amazing,” shared Stephanie Sindt, career advisor at the Business Career Connections (BCC), in regards to our students’ performance at the CU Denver Business School’s Career Fair.

The Business School’s lobby was packed with over 200 students enthusiastically networking with representatives from 22 different companies this Tuesday. Students met with top Denver companies like Arrow Electronics, FirstBank, Molson Coors, and Graebel.

“Several of these companies are adding hundreds of jobs in the Denver market in the next year.”

“We were thrilled to have so many employers of such a high caliber at the fair. Several of these companies are adding hundreds of jobs in the Denver market in the next year,” Sue Wyman, director of the BCC, shared.

“Employers were impressed with how prepared students were and how seriously they took this opportunity. Our career fairs are vital, because employer partnerships are so valuable to the Business School as a whole,” stated Sindt.

“Employers were impressed with how prepared students were and how seriously they took this opportunity.”

Employer feedback: “amazing”

The Business School hosted 22 employers, and all of them expressed how impressed they were with the students’ excitement and preparedness for the career fair. We highlighted a few comments below:

“The career fair has been great! This is our second time being at this event and every time, we have had really good candidates. CU Denver students have real-world experience and are ready to talk about their jobs. There’s a reason we keep coming back.” – Brenna Gallop, S&P Global

“The career fair has been fantastic. Every single student has shown up excited about why we’re here. I’ve been really impressed with students’ knowledge, their preparedness, and what they are bringing to the table. It has upped the game tremendously for new hires.” – Kyle Kummer, Marketo

“The majority of the students have researched the companies. They know what we do and looked at our website to see what positions are available. It’s been an incredible day with amazing students. I think CU Denver has done a tremendous job.” – Stacey Payne, Lockton Companies, LLC

“I love CU Denver students. I go to easily over 30 career fairs across the US, and CU Denver students are always the most prepared without exception. They are also very curious and excited and open to discussing opportunities. A lot of times, students think that they only want something within their specific major with certain jobs they are targeting. I find that CU Denver students are open to other opportunities, especially since we are a global company. The prospect of working internationally is really exciting and CU Denver students are open to those opportunities.” – Catherine Pierce, Graebel Companies

Student Success

 We talked to some students about their experience at the career fair and asked them for a little piece of advice they had for students attending future career fairs.

James Vezina, BSBA in Finance

“I was really surprised how many students and employers came out. There are so many great companies. I talked to CoBank, and I would love to pursue a career with them. It seems so scary graduating and jumping into the adult world. But here, the recruiters are reaching out with a helping hand. You can tell that they love what they do.”

Advice: Look at the companies who are going and pick a few that you really want to talk to. Show up early, and after that you feel more relaxed and you won’t be crunched for time.

David Adugna, BSBA in Finance and Risk Management and Insurance

“I’ve talked to five employers and I’m going to talk to two more. I’ve been impressed with IMA, CoBiz, and Arrow. IMA has an internship program that goes throughout the year, which is what I’m looking for. CoBiz has a similar program, but they might have something for me.”

Advice: Do a little bit of homework, bring resumes, and have questions for the companies.

Navya Roy, BSBA in Management

“The career fair is going really well. I already have an internship, so I wanted to come to build my connections. I’ve been to every single career fair since my freshman year. Career fairs are so valuable, because this is where we get to network and recruiters remember us. When I talked to the HR advisor at Centura, she said she knew to email me right when new opportunities were arising, because she had met me so many times before and knew who I was.”

Advice: Make sure you follow up. They won’t remember you unless you keep in contact with them. That’s what I did with Centura, and that’s how I got my internship.

John Greer, BSBA in Finance and Risk Management and Insurance

“This is my first career fair. I’m looking for internships and talked to a ton of companies including my top two choices, which were Xcel and Kaiser Permanente. I walked around with one of my friends from the Portfolio Management Group student club. I took some notes on the questions he was asking companies. It’s a lot less stressful than I thought it was going to be. I was pretty nervous coming in, even though I love talking to people.  Talking to future professionals is a little more nerve-wracking, but I see this as a good warmup for future events. I am planning on going to the financial services career event next month, and now I’ll be a lot more confident for that event.”

Advice: Come! Just do it and get over the hump. That’s how you’re going to get the job by putting yourself out there.

Esther Yi, BSBA in Finance and Risk Management and Insurance

“The career fair has been really insightful. I’ve been meeting a lot of employers that have given me advice for my future. I’ve talked to CoBiz, CoBank, City and County of Denver, Kaiser Permanente, and Marketo. I’m graduating in May, so I’m looking for internships and full-time positions. I went to the career fair last spring, and a few recruiters remembered who I was. I will definitely be applying for some jobs after this.”

Advice: Don’t be nervous. Everyone that you’re talking to are regular people that are working at these companies. They also have insightful knowledge and experience to share with you. As long as you ask the right questions, they’ll be happy to share that with you.

A career center with experience

With over 10 years of recruiting and advising experience, the BCC team offers career coaching, networking, job opportunities, and professional development training for Business School students and alumni.

They also host various events like career essential workshops, interview prep workshops, and trips like the San Francisco Career Trek where students get to interact with companies like LinkedIn, Google SF, and Salesforce.