Iowa State Ag Career Day Attracts New Organizations

Iowa State University’s agricultural career fair, the largest in the nation, has attracted the most employers since the hiring downturn that began after 9/11.

Ag Career Day will be held Oct. 26 in the Memorial Union on the Iowa State campus. It is scheduled from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

As of today, 132 employers had signed up for the event compared with 127 that attended last year. Mike Gaul, director of the College of Agriculture’s Career Services office, said the event will include nearly 25 new employers who will participate for the first time.

"It’s nice to see an increase in the number of employers attending," Gaul said. "There is a diverse array of companies participating and the mix of natural resource organizations is probably the best ever."

More than 1,200 students, alumni and others interested in agricultural careers attend. Gaul said he's received a few calls from students on other campuses who want to attend the event. The event begins a series of interviews on campus for internships and full-time positions.

A list of employers planning to be on campus for career day can be found on the Web at http://www.ag.iastate.edu/careerservices/ag%20career%20day.html.

Agriculture Career Day is organized by Iowa State's College of Agriculture Career Services Office, Agricultural Student Council and the Agricultural Business Club.