Students, Jobs Court at Fair

Due to the recent economic downturn, there has been significant decline in employer interest. The number of employer booths at this year's Carolina Career Fair totaled about 70, down from a high of 110 in 1999, said Marcia Harris, director of University Career Services, the organization that sponsored Thursday's event.

"We definitely have fewer employers, but considering the economy, we seem to be holding up nicely," she said.

Despite fewer participants than previous years, there still was a diverse gathering of job options. Employers represented ranged from The Home Depot to Hershey Foods Corp. to the CIA.

But senior Joshua LeQuire, a French and English major, said he still is worried about job opportunities.

"There is definitely a visible effect from the economy," he said.

For many students, the fair is their first time out looking for jobs.

"I noticed some companies, but I just don't know what I want to do yet," said senior Adam Miller, a mathematics major on his first search in the job market.

Miller said he is concerned about finding a job given the state of the economy.

"I am worried," he said. "I don't want to work at McDonald's, but for now, I'm just having fun."

But for other students, the career fair is one of the last stops on a seemingly never-ending line of career searches.

Dipanjan Das, a master's student in operation research, arrived at the Carolina Career Fair after spending the previous summer in a fruitless search for job internships.

"You used to be able to just go into (Research Triangle Park)," he said. "You could just walk in and say you're a graduate of operations management and they would hire you. But now it is just not the same."

Das said he was not doing much better at this career fair because government agencies -- those most interested in his major -- only hire U.S. citizens.

But this sense of desperation was not shared by all students.

Senior Joseph Hoying, a sociology major, said the career fair gives students an idea of what to expect when they interview.

"I think it's kind of pointless because if you are going to get a job, you need a face-to-face interview," he said.

"The career fair is just to show recruiters that you can act in a business manner."

David Hawkins, a graduate in international relations from N.C. Central University, said he was impressed by the wide variety represented at the fair,

"I think the career fair is not just looking for white-collar jobs," he said. "There is an interest in all types of degrees."

Harris said the career fair is an important part of students' searches for jobs.

"I hope that students understand this is one of the best ways to meet employers," she said. "It is a way they can present themselves along with their r