More than 230 OSU Institute of Technology students arrived with resumes in hand to Covelle Hall Tuesday for the Fall Career Fair in search of internship and employment opportunities and with companies looking for trained and skilled workers.

The fair was aimed at students in the schools of Construction Technologies, Energy Technologies, Engineering Technologies, Diesel & Heavy Equipment and Information Technologies.

Representatives from more than 40 companies in those industries were on hand to meet and talk with students looking for internship or employment opportunities, including OG&E, Phillips 66, Manhattan Construction, Weyerhaeuser, the Ross Group, ONEOK, and MHC Kenworth, just to name a few.

Jeff Therkildsen is the maintenance manager at Kimberly-Clark’s Jenks facility and said the company has had a presence at the career fair for years.

“It’s one of the best ways to talk to the students. It’s nice to put a face to a name,” Therkildsen said. “We go to various colleges for various degree programs.”

Kimberly-Clark started an internship program with OSUIT four years ago and since then the company has hired about a dozen graduates.

“The talent has been good,” he said. “We’ve been pleased with the talent OSUIT has produced.”

The first step down that path is the career fair, Therkildsen said.

“We’ll screen today and interview some of the candidates and offer internships,” he said. “It’s a serious thing to possibly be offered an internship. You only have one shot to make a good first impression.”

Lindsey Williams, a Pipeline Integrity and Pre-Professional Studies student, knows the importance of making that good first impression. Last year she was offered an internship at the Fall Career Fair.

“I got interviewed by TD Williams in the corner and was offered an internship,” Williams said, so she attended this year’s career fair looking for a full-time job after she graduates in April. “I’ve talked to Phillips 66, ONEOK, and Targa. The career fair, it gets your foot in the door. There are people I talked to who remember me from last year.”

Alex Plumlee, another Pipeline Integrity student, was also offered his internship— and ultimately a job after graduation— with Acuren through connections he made at last year’s career fair.

“It’s good for students to get their foot in the door and find full-time employment,” said Plumlee, who attended this year’s fair just to see what other job opportunities were out there for him. “I got some good prospects. I just wanted to keep my options open.”