2:53 p.m., Sept. 27, 2007--It was a full court press at the Bob Carpenter Center on Tuesday, Sept. 25, as more than 1,500 resume-bearing students and alumni met with 660 recruiters from 269 companies during UD's 39th annual Job Jamboree.

Open to students of all majors, the Job Jamboree is the largest such event held at UD during the school year. Participating employers included local accounting and engineering firms, as well as corporate powerhouses like DuPont, W.L. Gore & Associates, ARAMARK and Bank of America.

“This is the biggest event we have ever done,” Lynn Jacobson, coordinator of UD's Bank of America Career Services Center, said. “Job Jamboree started in 1968, and has continued to grow each year.”

Jacobson said that participants include seniors seeking jobs and underclassmen interested in internship possibilities.

“We send out invitations to about 3,000 companies who are listed in our database, and we give participating students complimentary bags to store literature from all the various recruiters with whom they talk,” Jacobson said. “This year was really nice, because students were already lined up and waiting when the doors opened today.”

The Job Jamboree provides a setting for students and alumni to meet informally with company representatives who will be returning to UD's Bank of America Career Services Center beginning Oct. 1 to conduct on-campus interviews.

Carl Martin, who graduated in 1977 with a degree in chemical engineering, said he has been returning to UD for the last 15 years to help recruit students for Air Products and Chemicals.

“I have always been interested in coming back to UD and helping students,” Martin said. “We recruit mainly chemical and mechanical engineering students, but also students from other disciplines. It's really fantastic to see all of these students and recruiters out here.”

Michael Allerton, a senior chemical engineering major, said he was impressed with the number of prospective employers participating in the event.

“There are a lot of companies represented here, including plenty in my field,” Allerton said. “It's a great thing and will definitely help me in finding a good job.”

Kathleen Housen, a senior marketing major, also welcomed the opportunity to talk to different employers and see what jobs were available and what fields were represented.

“I like talking to all the different representatives,” Housen said. “Coming here lets me find out what the different employers are looking for.”

Tyrone Ruff, a senior criminal justice major, said that he was impressed with the number of law enforcement employers participating in this year's job jamboree. “I'm looking to get into law enforcement. I think it's great that all these companies showed up.”

A complete list of the 269 prospective employers who attended the 39th annual Job Jamboree can be found online at UD's Bank of America Career Services Center web site at [www.udel.edu/CSC/jamboree.html]. For a list of future career fairs, visit [http://www.udel.edu/CSC/fairs.html].

Article by Jerry Rhodes
Photos by Kathy F. Atkinson