Despite the protests taking place outside the Convocation Center, job recruitment at Wednesday’s Job Fair went well.

Tanya Sillitti, a representative from Product Development Technology, was not only impressed with the organization of the fair, but also at how prepared and professional students were. She said that some even brought cover letters already addressed to her.

“That shows that people did their research on the company,” said Sillitti. “I have a stack of resumes to bring back.”

Jean Callary of the Career Planning and Placement Center was “extremely pleased” with the how well the fair went. Over 1,300 students showed up to talk with the 126 employers. The student turnout was more than expected, Callary said.

“It was great that there was a mix of employers,” she said. “There was something for everyone.”

Callary said that out of the 126 employers that came, about 22 were brand new this year.

“The employers seemed very pleased,” she said. “Several said that this is the best job fair they have ever been to.”

Recent NIU graduate Paul Dela Vega said that attending the job fair was easier than what he had been doing, which was applying online for jobs. As an operations management and information systems major, however, he didn’t find as many employers that were specific to his field, but still hopes to receive a couple of phone calls for interviews.

Sheri Hannum from Hertz echoed Sillitti’s comments on students’ preparation.

She said that, “They have dressed professionally, asked good questions – I’ve been impressed.”

Representatives from Daimer-Chrysler said they found several prospective candidates, however they thought some were not as professionally dressed as they should have been, which had an effect on their first impression.

Overall, Callary said the fair ran very smoothly. This was NIU’s thirtieth job fair, so there is a lot of knowledge and experience that aids in planning the fair.