Seventy-eight businesses will attend the WSC annual career fair Wednesday, Feb. 26, from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the student center.

This event is organized by Career Services.

“We encourage students from freshmen to seniors to come to the career fair even if they’re just exploring what kind of jobs that might be out there or what type of businesses there might be,” said Heather Reinhardt, a career services specialist and the coordinator for the event.

Career services has been doing the career fair for more than 30 years to give students the opportunity to meet with businesses they may be interested in after graduating. Students can also find internships that could benefit them in their major and future career.

“Sometimes, if employers don’t maybe have anything open too, they might even come just to build an awareness for their business,” Reinhardt said. “That way it keeps them in front of students all the time, and they’ll think of them when they might be doing their job search process.”

Many students will be going for another year in a row.

“I like the opportunities that they have had for broadcasting,” Shelby Hagerdon, junior, said. “The news stations have had some good options in the past. I like seeing the different stations come by.”

Hagerdon said that she hopes to see more research opportunities and maybe even some internships.

Reinhardt said it is a good idea to bring multiple resumes or even a business card when attending the event. This way, if students find jobs that they may want to apply for, they are prepared. She also recommends dressing in either professional or business casual clothing when meeting with potential employers.

“If you do need to come in more casual like clothing, just make sure everything is in good shape,” Reinhardt said. “If you wore jeans, you want to make sure they’re really nice jeans and a nice shirt. We discourage, if possible, jogging pants or pajama pants.”

Reinhardt said one tip to keep in mind when preparing or meeting with potential employers includes practice talking about yourself. Many employers ask the question “tell me about yourself” so practice before the event may be beneficial for when it has to actually be done.

“You’re definitely going to be nervous going to the career fair, it’s a common feeling, obviously, but if you can practice and summarizing yourself then employers are pretty good about taking it from there for you,” Reinhardt said. “They know you’re nervous but practicing what you’re going to say can be helpful and then use a firm handshake.”

The businesses that will be at the career fair can be found online on Cat Tracks through Career Services. Students can also sign up in advance for the career fair in order to have a name tag going into the event but it is not required to do so in order to attend.

“The career fair is a chance for students to network in a professional setting that’s less intensive than what they might experience later on,” Hagerdon said. “It’s a good learning opportunity.”

The career fair is open to any student that is interested in attending and meeting potential employers.