Employers are returning in droves this fall to the Silicon Valley college job fair circuit
Originally published in the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal Oct. 4, 2011.
By David Goll
San Jose State University officials say the 132 companies and other organizations represented at its Fall Job and Internship Fair being held Tuesday is up 69 percent over the number of employers who participated a year ago. And the more than 150 employers participating in the Oct. 5 autumn job fair at Santa Clara University has grown by more than one-third as compared to last year’s turnout.
“We’re dedicated to trying to help students connect with employers at any level,” Anita Manuel, San Jose State’s career consultant/program manager at the university’s Career Center, said in a statement. “That includes internships, part-time jobs and then also their first professional career position if they’re going to be graduating and looking for that first job.”
Among the employers talking to San Jose State students today are Applied Materials Inc. Cisco Systems Inc., Kohl’s Inc., SanDisk Corp. and Lockheed Martin Corp. Manuel said she was impressed with the increase in companies coming to this fall’s fair, “especially given the economy, how it’s been a tough job market. But with the fact that we have so many employers that want to come to the job fair means they’re definitely hiring.”
Many of those same employers plan to be at Santa Clara on Wednesday. The list — including a wide array of industry segments — includes KLA-Tencor Corp., Macy’s Inc., Apple Inc., Fisher Investments, Kiewit Infrastructure West Co., Safeway Inc., Ross Stores Inc., Barracuda Networks Inc. , Comerica Bank, Target Corp. and Seagate Technology LLC.
“Employment for the class of 2012 is looking good,” Elspeth Rossetti, director of Santa Clara’s Career Center, said in a statement. “The number of employers attending the fall career fair is back at pre-recession levels. Recruitment for new graduates is not reflecting the doom and gloom prospects of national economic forecasts.”
David Goll can be reached at 408.299.1853 or dgoll@bizjournals.com.
David Goll covers commercial real estate, retail, economic development and transportation at the Business Journal.