Undergraduate Career Fair Fills Xfinity Center

More than 1,000 students, sporting professional attire with résumés in hand, met top employers Sept. 18, 2015, at the Smith Undergraduate Career Fair, the largest recruiting event at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business.

Booths from more than 100 companies filled the floor and lined the concourses at the Xfinity Center on campus. Participants included retail giants Amazon, Target, Macy’s and Walmart; banking leaders Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Bank of America; top consultancy firms such as Accenture; government agencies such as the Central Intelligence Agency; and leading consumer brands such as McCormick, PepsiCo, Stanley Black & Decker, Unilever and Under Armour.

 “Big four” accounting firms Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC also participated. “It’s our dream to get into one of the big four companies, and they’re all here today,” said Christy Tete, an accounting senior from New Delhi, India.

Gabriel Fishbein, a senior from Columbia, Md., said the career fair allows students to network and practice their communication skills. “It gives you experience,” said Fishbein, a marketing and information systems double major who is also pursuing an innovation and entrepreneurship minor. “We can talk to recruiters and find out about their companies.”

Smith freshmen and sophomores had the first crack at meeting recruiters. They were encouraged to enter the fair for the “First Look” hour at 9 a.m. to meet with recruiters from companies particularly interested in hiring underclassman. Then the rush of the full fair began at 10 a.m. when it opened to all Smith undergraduates, undergraduate alumni and QUEST honors students.

The fair marked the culmination of Smith’s Undergraduate Business Week. Sponsored by the Smith Undergraduate Student Association (SUSA), the week included daily events ranging from keynote speakers, entrepreneurship workshops and career fair preparation.