It has proven to be one of the most important days of the year for some University of Lethbridge students. By the number of corporate clients that choose to participate every fall, it's obviously a key date on the calendar for them. The University of Lethbridge's annual Career Fair is the epitome of a win-win situation.

Presented by the Career Resources Centre and specifically the Career and Employment Services office, Career Fair runs Wednesday, Sept. 29 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the indoor track of the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness.

More than 90 organizations will once again take part in the event, providing U of L students with access to information on careers in government, agriculture, the oil and gas industry, banking, health, human and social services, criminal justice, education, retail fitness and more.

A volunteer contingent of up to 70 students helps co-ordinate the one-day career blitz and with ample evidence of past success stories, organizers are confident in saying it's a must to attend for students beginning to plan their career path.

"The feedback we get from both students and employers is wonderful," says Pat Tanaka, director of Career & Employment Services. "So many of our students have started their careers with this fair, and even for those who have no idea what they are planning on doing in the future, it's a valuable information resource for them to start getting ideas."

Wendy Peters, manager, internships at Alberta Municipal Affairs, has used the Career Fair setting to benefit her organization.

"In my experience, this is the best fair offered in terms of how well prepared the students are and how well the employers are treated when they come to campus," says Peters.

Alberta Municipal Affairs has an already established relationship with the U of L's Geography Department and, combined with their Career Fair presence, received great interest in their internship program for new graduates this past year. A total of 19 students applied, four of whom were hired as interns in the Administrator Program and two others who were accepted to the Land Use Planner program, giving the U of L six interns in total.

This year, it's expected a number of alumni will be back on campus, this time representing employers looking to bring more U of L students on board. Tanaka says they will welcome
18 alumni, with the promise of more to come.

"Simply put, it works for both students and employers," she says.