On Wednesday, March 6, employers from the Denver metro area gathered in the Lawrence Street Center to network with students from the CU Denver Business School. Hundreds of students attended the fair, with high hopes of creating connections that would lead to jobs and internship opportunities. Recruiters were eager to connect and engage with attendees; many remember the time they spent as students on the other side of the table.

Erin Myles, Business Development Representative for Oracle Netsuite, acknowledged the opportunities for students in Denver. “It’s just a great city to be in right now with all the growth moving in,” said Erin. “We’re excited to find students who want to stay in the city.”

“It’s just a great city to be in right now with all the growth moving in. We’re excited to find students who want to stay in the city.” – Erin Myles, Oracle Netsuite

She has a point. Of the twenty companies that attended the career fair, half are headquartered in the Denver area, creating unique options for students attending school downtown.  A recent graduate, Erin was discovered by Netsuite at a career fair and was able to secure a full-time position following an internship. She recommends every student participate in at least one career fair – giving them the chance to learn and grow from each networking experience.

Headquartered in San Francisco, Oracle Netsuite is a firm focused on providing innovative software to expanding businesses. Oracle stands firmly behind its pursuit of growth – both for its customers and as a company. Denver, with its booming job market, is the perfect place for companies like Netsuite to find young, hardworking professionals ready to enter the workforce.

Companies in Denver know they can find motivated and hardworking students when they attend the Business School’s career fair. Empower Retirement, headquartered in Denver, frequently connects with CU Denver students. Benji Goodrich, Lead Talent Acquisition Consultant with Empower, enjoys engaging with students each time. “Since we are located in Denver, we want to make sure we partner with local schools,” said Benji. “We know that CU Denver has an excellent business school that produces well-prepared students…they come prepared with questions, and they’re very engaging.”

“We know that CU Denver has an excellent business school that produces well-prepared students…they come prepared with questions, and they’re very engaging.”- Benji Goodrich, Empower Retirement

A company seeking to actively engage young professionals in their services, Empower Retirement recently launched a social media campaign to create conversations with their millennial consumers. For this reason, the search for business students is more than expanding their firm – it’s central to their goals to connect with young audiences.

Empower Retirement certainly wasn’t the only company seeking to utilize its CU Denver connection. Included among those employers recruiting at Wednesday’s fair were Charles Schwab, Zayo Group, Graebel, and FirstBank. Notably, Ibotta, Gusto, and Frontier Airlines were also in attendance; three firms in the midst of major industry and job growth.

Student attendees rose to employer expectations by thoroughly engaging in resources provided by the school’s Business Career Connections (BCC) before attending the fair. Katie Logar, pursuing a BSBA in marketing, used the BCC templates to update her resume and LinkedIn profiles. Katie followed the school’s tips on polishing her personal brand, giving her more confidence to focus on her goal for the Career Fair and network with the recruiters hiring in her field. Katie uses her networking experience as good practice for creating meaningful relationships with recruiters. “If you’re nervous going in,” Katie recommended, “start with a company you’re not as interested in at first, and it will give you the confidence to talk with the others.”

Fellow student Andrew Springer agreed. “Don’t be afraid to fail,” he said, “I talk to everyone to figure out what certifications and software experience employers are looking for. Then I know when I get to the hiring point, I will be ready and qualified.”

Student dedication and preparation is paying off, and recruiters are noticing. Larry Kriger, Senior Talent Acquisition Consultant for TIAA Financial Services, can see the CU Denver difference. “It shows initiative,” said Kriger, “it shows interest in the company, and it gets them to the front of the line.”

Boosted by growth from the past few years, many Denver firms are projected to continue their expansions in the area and open their doors to potential candidates. You can bet that CU Denver students will be prepared to face that challenge.