Students clad in professional attire flocked to Coleman Coliseum with their resumes in hand for a General Interest and Business Career Fair from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. on Wednesday Feb. 17. Around 1,500 students were expected to attend the event that hosted roughly 118 employers.

Among the companies present were Apple Inc., Enterprise Rent-A-Car, The Hershey Company, LG Electronics Alabama, Inc., Northwestern Mutual of Alabama, PepsiCo, Southwest Airlines and Target. Companies were looking for both full-time employeees and interns.

Amanda Ingram, Director of Operations for The University of Alabama’s Career Center said the event was a great opportunity for students to meet employers in person, adding that there is only so much you can say on paper.

“It is a good chance for students to stand out,” she said.

Cody Gardner, freight broker for Amino Transport, was recruiting soon-to-be graduates for full-time jobs and agreed with Ingram.

“It is always good to get your name out there,” said Gardner, who believes career fairs are important for students to go to.

Alex Bronwell, a senior majoring in business management, attended the career fair in the hopes of finding a job for after graduation. He recommends career fairs to other students, saying that it is good for experience.

“They give you experience in how to talk to people and how to get to know more about companies,” he said.

The Career Center will host a Technical and Engineering Career Fair Thursday Feb. 18 from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. in Coleman Coliseum.