UF animal sciences freshman Kristen Lyons walked barefoot up Museum Road, high heels and resumes in hand.
As she approached the Stephen C. O’Connell Center on Tuesday, the 18-year-old stopped, handed her papers to a friend and began squeezing her feet into 3-inch tan heels.
Even though she didn’t think there would be many veterinarians hiring at the Career Showcase, Lyons said, "It can’t hurt to come and try out."
She was one of about 7,000 students predicted to attend the showcase Tuesday and today, said Career Resource Center Director Heather White. This Fall, students will be greeted by 90 additional employers looking to hire Gators.
Tuesday marked the first day of UF’s Career Showcase, a semi-annual, two-day job fair hosted by the center, she said. The first day catered to students in non-technical fields like English, accounting and history. The second day is geared toward students in technical fields like engineering, chemistry and computer science. Career Showcase will open at 9 a.m. today and end at 3 p.m.
This semester, 378 companies signed up to participate, with 90 of those coming to UF for the first time, White said. This is about a 6 percent increase from last Fall.
Notable first-timers include Facebook, Kellogg’s, Saks Fifth Avenue, PayPal and TripAdvisor, she said.
"There was a lot of buzz and excitement the past few weeks," White said. "Our numbers (for companies attending Showcase), for the first time, are back to pre-recession."
For UF finance senior Maria-Audrey Chadili, getting the chance to talk with newcomer Kellogg’s reminded her of home. The company’s headquarters is in Michigan, the 21-year-old said, which borders her home country, Canada.
"For me personally, it’s a company I know a lot about," she said, adding that Frosted Flakes was one of her favorite cereals as a child.
On Tuesday, company booths were squeezed side-by-side on both floors of the O’Connell Center. UF accounting sophomore Taylor Zeisloft said he hoped to speak with a recruiter from the accounting firm Deloitte, who attended the showcase for the first time.
The 19-year-old said he planned to speak with representatives from the top four accounting firms, which included Deloitte. The company had some of the longest lines at the showcase.
"I feel like I’m still early," he said, "but it’s time to buckle down and see what’s out there."
He said he thinks UF offers a wide range of potential employers at the showcase every year.
"It speaks a lot about UF’s national prominence," he said. "I think it makes us feel great as students that these companies want us."
