Students donned ties and trousers and polished their resumes for the fall 2011 Natural Sciences Career Expo at the Frank Erwin Center on Monday. Inside, a wide range of employers, from small start-up companies to Facebook, Chevron, Apple and Microsoft, waited for job-seeking students.

“It’s really important to get practice interviewing with recruiters,” said Eric Uniacke of Chevron. “Students can really benefit from that.”

Booths from 152 employers covered two floors of the center, and between 700 and 900 students attended the fair, said senior administrative associate Suzette Ruedas. Ruedas said the fair was open to all UT students and alumni and employers offered everything from internships to full-time jobs.

“I’m hoping to see what jobs they’re trying to hire, what other opportunities are out there, and to see who’s reaching out to large universities,” said biology senior Jackson Dyre-Borowicz.

In addition to showing up and dressing the part, students were encouraged to go into the fair with some previous knowledge of the potential employers.

“To make the career fair work best for employers and students, students should do research to know what companies they want to speak to,” said Andrea McGowan, talent acquisitions advisor at Dell. “Just coming up and asking, ‘What jobs does Dell have for me?’ isn’t all that helpful.”

The high number of companies present and the opportunities offered highlighted the fact that even when unemployment rates are high, the area of natural sciences offers many profitable career options. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, physicists, natural science managers, dentists, doctors and surgeons are among the highest paid positions in 2011. Surgeons mark the top of the totem pole, generating annual salaries averaging approximately $225,390.

The opportunities in the field of natural sciences are not declining either, according to a study at Prospects, a British careers services company. According to the study, significant increases in jobs are expected for research, science and technology in 2012. Additionally, the National Association of Colleges and Employers reported the average starting salary offers for those with a bachelor’s degree in health and related sciences was $39,490 in September 2010.

Students in the College of Natural Sciences can access the Career Design Center (formerly Natural Sciences Career Services) to help plan for their futures after graduation, as well as find internships while at UT. The center, under the direction of Karen Landolt, also includes health professions advising.

ScienceWorks, a new product of the Career Design Center, allows students to upload resumes, view job postings and obtain access to on-campus interviews.

“We want students to know that we’re still there to help you,” said health professions advisor Caleb Marsh. “We want to be a place where students can come for answers about graduate school, professional school and, most importantly, jobs.”  

Printed on September 20, 2011 as: Sciences prove profitable at career expo