The atmosphere in Nebraska Union was markedly different Feb. 11, as an influx of students dressed in their very best business attire took over the second floor for the spring Career Fair.

Four rooms were lined with 160 companies and their recruiters, who were shaking hands with everyone who walked by.

Many agriculture companies were grouped in the Ballroom and Centennial Room, where Iyore Eronmwon walked the floor, seeking opportunities in grain merchandising.

“I will graduate in May with my master’s in agricultural economics and so I’m going around and talking with everyone,” she said. “I’m willing to relocate, but I do have a child who tells me often he loves Lincoln.”

Just 20 minutes into her visit, Eronmwon said she had a lead on a possible opening with Central Valley Ag, an agricultural cooperative based in York, Nebraska.

By 2 p.m., an hour into the event, Lindsey Spehn, a senior consultant and university recruiting lead for Gallup, was impressed by the number of students the company had interacted with.

“We’ve been busy non-stop the first hour,” Spehn said. “We come to every career fair here and typically the fall fair brings more students, but we’ve already spoken with about 50 students, so today is going really well.”

The Career Fair is held over a two-day span, and is the largest opportunity on campus for students to connect with employers for jobs and internships, bringing 358 companies to campus during the 2018-19 fairs.

The first day of the spring 2020 fair brought companies searching for students in the agricultural sciences and natural resources, business, social and human services, while the second day focuses on career opportunities in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields.

“There is great talent coming from the university, and we recruit a lot of students for internships and jobs,” Spehn said, adding that Gallup representatives attend both days of the fair.

Alyson Lindsey, a junior international business major from Chicago, was on the hunt for a summer or fall internship. With resume in hand and a list of companies she wanted to speak with, she relied on the Career Fair Plus App to guide her through the process.

“I did research on the companies I want to talk to, and made a list in the app,” Lindsey said. “The Career Fair is required for one of my classes, but it is a valuable experience. Getting my resume ready and thinking about what I wanted from my internship were really beneficial.”

Robyn Classen, recruitment specialist with Sandhills Global, was impressed with the students she’d spoken to, and was looking forward to being back for the second day of the fair.

“I started with Sandhills as an intern while attending UNL, so I’ve been in these students’ shoes,” she said. “We’ve already spoken with 15 students in 30 minutes, and that’s really good. They’ve been enthusiastic.”

The Career Fair continues Feb. 12, 1-5 p.m. in Nebraska Union. Students attending are encouraged to use the Career Fair Plus App, and jobs and internships are also posted on Handshake.