Although the job market is better for students associated with certain majors and areas of study, all students are encouraged to attend the job fair held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Convocation Center, said Jean Callary, assistant director of the Career Planning & Placement Center.

Callary said the job market is in good condition for teachers and nurses, as well as for health care, business, engineering and some human services areas. This should not discourage students in other fields, she said.

“I would never encourage anybody to choose a major based on the job market,” Callary said. “Things change and people should choose a major based on what they want and not on what’s marketable.”

Callary said two factors affect companies’ hiring situations.

First, she said, companies are constantly in need of change and growth.

“Companies need to realign the workforce and add new skills and new talent,” Callary said.

Also, the salaries of entry-level positions are lower than for employees who have been with the company for some time, and that’s also a factor, she said.

Although the job market is unstable in some areas, an average of 150 employers and 1,200 job seekers are expected to attend NIU’s biannual job fair this year, Callary said.

Callary said most companies come back every job fair to recruit students. However, there is no record of the specific number of students who have been hired in the past as a result of attending the fair.

“We don’t know for sure how many people got hired in the past job fairs, but a whole bunch of these companies come back over and over again,” Callary said. “If [the companies] weren’t happy, or if they’re not getting what they’re looking for, they wouldn’t be here.”

Jewel-Osco is attending the job fair for its 32nd time, Callary said.

“The companies are coming right here to see you,” she said. “You worked so hard to get a degree, so you deserve to get the job that you want. Take yourself out there and talk to them.”