Rain didn’t stop NIU students from stepping out into the business world Wednesday at the bi-annual job fair.

The fair was held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Office of Campus Recreation. Almost 125 companies were at the fair, eager to recruit NIU students and set up interviews.

“It was a really great turnout,” said DeWanna Mason, a senior corporate communication major. “The companies I anticipated to be here are here, and two of the companies are really standing out for me.”

Mason said that the fair’s time frame did not fit into her schedule, but she managed to come in between her classes.

“I was very surprised that so many companies were here because economy is slowing down,” Mason said.

When the students arrived at the fair, they were given a name tag and a packet that offered a background information about the companies.The packet also gave the positions the company was hiring for, the qualifications required and the table location for the company.

“I was able to talk to a lot of different companies,” said Robert Denna, a senior corporate communication major. “The packet was very helpful.”

This was Denna’s first job fair. He said that many companies stood out for him but it depends on what you are looking for and your major.

Denna said that he gave his resume to many companies, and they’ll be calling within the next week to set up interviews.

“I liked the fair,” Denna said. “It was very helpful to see the companies and what positions they had openings for.”

Jim Rogers, head of claims for Progressive Auto Insurance in Illinois, thought the fair went well.

“The staff was very organized and helpful,” Rogers said. “They provided a lot of information for the student before the fair.”

Rogers said that NIU students were well dressed and well prepared for the fair. This was Progressive’s first time at NIU, but Rogers said that he wants to create a relationship with the

university in the future.

Progressive is the fourth largest insurance company in Illinois. Rogers hopes that with this growth, NIU students will be a part of their team.

Senior finance major Erin O’Neal said the fair was a really good experience for her major.

“I was really disappointed because the companies started to pack up around three and the fair wasn’t suppose to end until 4 p.m.,” O’Neal said. “They didn’t offer that much information.They just take your resume and say we’ll call you.”

Jean Callary, an assistant director at the NIU’s Career Planning and Placement Center, said that she was proud of the students who attended the fair.

“Other school’s students would show up in sweats, and they were not prepared,” Callary said. “The companies were really impressed.”

The next job fairs are scheduled for Nov. 5, 7 and 9. The theme for the fairs are “Just for U.”