Employers from as many as 35 states will converge on Rolla, Mo., Feb. 8, to recruit students from the University of Missouri-Rolla.                   

Representatives from Fortune 500 giants like Boeing and Halliburton will be among more than 140 employers on hand for UMR’s 2006 Spring Career Fair, which will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 8, in the Student Recreation Center, 10th Street and Bishop Avenue, Rolla.         

“Geography usually plays an important role in getting employers to attend the career fair,” says Lea-Ann Morton, director of UMR’s Career Opportunities Center. “Some of them have to spend a lot of time and money to get to Rolla, but the employers get a great return on their investment at UMR.”         

Last spring, 109 employers attended the UMR Career Fair. The fairs are held twice each year, in the spring and fall.         

Career fairs are held as a service to all UMR students and graduates of the university, but Morton says the events also provide a boost to the Rolla economy because recruiters stay in hotels and go to restaurants.                   

At the fair, recruiters will be looking for students to fill summer internships, co-ops and full-time positions.         

“We have a good reputation with employers because the campus community takes a proactive interest in the future employment of our students,” Morton says.        

In 2004-2005, more than 72 percent of UMR students who reported to the Career Opportunities Center said they had secured full-time jobs at the time of graduation.                  

About 2,500 students and alumni are expected to attend UMR’s 2006 Spring Career Fair.          

“Employers are looking for well-rounded students who have good verbal and non-verbal communications skills,” Morton says. “They are also looking for things like work experience, leadership skills and undergraduate research experience. They are already aware of UMR’s reputation as a technological university, and they know we have really good students.”                 

Morton adds that one of the keys to making a good impression at a career fair is to do homework on the employers. “Students have to know why they would want to work for them,” she says. “Some job offers have definitely been extended on the floor of the fair.”                  

In anticipation of the fair, representatives from UMR’s Career Opportunities Center will be reviewing student resumes on a walk-in basis Monday, Feb. 6, at the Havener Center on campus.           

The career fair is open only to UMR students and alumni. Volunteers are still needed to assist. For more information, call 341-4343 or go to http://career.mst.edu/.