The College of Liberal Arts and Science will host two of its largest annual career fairs Wednesday.

The People to People Career fair will take place from 1 to 5 p.m. in the Scheman Building, and the Business, Industry and Technology Career Fair will run from noon until 6 p.m. at Hilton Coliseum.

“It’s a great time for students to get out there and talk to the different employers,” said Career Services Director Taren Crow.

She says students should plan to spend a couple of hours between the two career fairs and recommends students go to both.

“You never know what type of opportunities are going to be there for you,” Crow said. “It’s really important to be able to see all of your options … and [the career fairs] are right next door to each other.”

Crow recommends that each student, regardless of their classification, gets in the habit of going to all the career fairs pertaining to them.

“Even if you’re not searching for a position right now, by just going to career fairs you get the most important thing available — practice,” Crow said.

Well-known employers registered include The Blank Park Zoo, Hach Company, Barilla and Farmers Insurance, along with many others. A full listing of the 93 registered employers is available through CyHire.

Sophomore Riley Dunbar, promotional coordinator for the People to People Fair, says she has already benefited from getting involved with the career fairs. Approximately 125 students volunteer as student ambassadors to help with the logistics, including helping employers set up their booths and directing their fellow students through the fair.

“I just dove right in and it’s given me so much practice communicating with employers and everyone else that I feel like I’m not scared to do anything anymore,” Dunbar said. “I have so much more confidence and I’m really glad that the work we’ve put into this event is coming together.”

Taren Crow said confidence is key both before and during the career fair.

“Don’t be afraid to go check it out,” Crow said. “The worst thing that could happen is you might have an encounter that’s a little awkward. Then you walk away and get to start over with someone else.”

Crow also noted that students sometimes get more out of their career fair experiences than they expect.

“It’s really fun to see someone who volunteers a few hours of their time and gets to walk away with a job offer, an internship, an interview or an employer who just really loves them,” Crow said. “Even if you don’t, you didn’t fail if you walked away without an internship. Career fair is just part of the process. It’s just one step. It shouldn’t be your whole search for an internship or for a job.”

Crow added that Career Services provide advising, workshops, and guest speaker events to better prepare students to search for jobs and internships all year.

“If you just went, saw [the career fairs], and learned more about how to approach it the next time, now you know that and can ask yourself, ‘what can I do to be ready for that internship or full-time position later?’” Crow said. “It’s awesome practice to get out there and personal interactions with employers are priceless.”