From internship to full-time job to lifelong career; for many, a career fair is just the first step.

Iowa State College of Agriculture and Life Science students gained networking and hiring opportunities at the college’s semesterly career day. More than a hundred companies and organizations filled the Great Hall of the Memorial Union on Wednesday hoping to provide students with future internships or careers.

Sarah Mathers, senior in agricultural and life sciences, is in the midst of her last year at Iowa State and feels that the career fair is of special importance for her to graduate with a job lined up.

Mathers is looking to get an entry-level, full-time sales opportunity and wants to build networking in the agriculture community. She wore professional clothing with a head-to-toe black suit and a black portfolio, a common clothing style for any career fair at Iowa State.  

After meeting and talking with different companies and organizations, Mathers is more optimistic about the future.

“I’m hopeful of the future of agriculture that the amount of people involved in the agriculture field will increase,” Mathers said.

One of these organizations is U.S Fish and Wildlife Service, a federal conservation agency that helps preserve Midwest wildlife habitats.

Richard Hager, an employee who works in the organization, hopes to find eager Iowa State students to help with preserving a tall grass prairie that they hope will restore native plants and animals in hopes of maintaining life back in those areas.

He later explained that Iowa State was the place to look for these qualified workers.

“The departments that are here at Iowa State, both on the plants and animal side, fit very well with what our goals and objectives are for hiring young people,” Hager said.

The Des Moines Blank Park Zoo also is hoping to hire Iowa State students in the wildlife career pather.

Audrey Sidey, a former Iowa State graduate with a major in biology, works at the education department in the zoo, educating adults and kids. She loves getting youth involved with programs that get them more enthusiastic about conservation.

The need for young animal science students is a must for Sidey to recruit by offering internships and basic volunteering. She also can get students hands-on experiences in their animal care internships, “where the students can work directly with the zoo keeper and take care of the animals.”  

The programs include preparing diets, cleaning up and maintaining the health of the animals.    

This is one of the many career fairs that Iowa State is hosting this spring. The College of Engineering career fair will take place Tuesday at the Scheman Building and Hilton Coliseum.