Before the end of a four or five-year life in college, some students opt to begin a job search.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the College of Management will host a career fair today in Talley Student Center from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Approximately 90 representatives from a range of professional groups and companies will come to talk to students, including Cingular Wireless, State Farm Insurance Bureau and the U.S. Census Bureau, according to the University Career Center’s Web site.

For seniors like Melissa Stallings, the career fair will be “a good form of gathering information.”

Stallings said she recently switched into her criminology major and is searching for post-graduation employment opportunities. She will graduate in August.

She said the resources on campus, such as the University Career Center and career fairs, are helpful during the job search process.

“I feel like my major is catered to my mindset,” Stallings said. “Now, I want to apply it in the real world.”

Leslie Rand-Pickett, assistant director of the University Career Center, noted the importance of preparation for the fair.

“It’s a good idea to have questions about their selection process and more information about programs they are interested in,” she said.

Students who decide to go to the career fair “need to do some research ahead of time,” Rand-Pickett said. She suggested students make a list of companies to visit at the fair.

“[Students] need to have a general idea of what the company does,” said Rand-Pickett.

Lauren Williams, a career ambassador for the UCC, said she has attended several career fairs.

Through her experience, Williams, a senior in accounting, said career fairs are a “good networking” opportunity.

“The career fair is a really good way to talk to employers before you might interview,” said Williams.

At a career fair last year, Williams said she went to look for an internship. She met a representative from IBM and discovered the company was hiring students for a co-op program.

“The guy I met at the career fair was the same guy who interviewed me [for the co-op position],” Williams said. Williams received an offer to participate in the co-op and accepted.

“They can remember your name from talking to you at the career fair,” Williams said. “It’s a great advantage.”

Sara Concini, a counselor for the UCC and director of today’s fair, said although representatives at the fair do not always conduct interviews like in William’s case, students should still make a strong effort to look and act their best.

“This is your chance to get in front of almost 90 employers in a short amount of time,” Concini said. “That first impression is key.”

In order to make an impression on company representatives, Concini suggested students approach each booth with an updated and professional resume.

“The recruiters want to be approached,” Concini said. “Be professional, polite, and speak clearly and assertively. It helps to project that professional image.”

When a student begins a conversation with a representative, the student should give a short introduction, including his or her year, major, name and whether he or she is looking for an internship or a first job out of college.

Williams said she did this at the fair when she attended.

“Try to make a little conversation with the representatives,” Williams said. “Say anything to help them get to know you more.”

Concini said students should ask for business cards from representatives so they can follow up with companies after the fair.

“Either by telephone or e-mail, thank the representatives for their time, remind them of your interest and attach your resume,” Concini said.

One of the reasons why companies attend the career fair is because of the quality of students at N.C. State, according to Concini.

“[The companies] are looking for talented entry-level employees,” Concini said. “NCSU has built a reputation of qualified, hard-working and intelligent students.”

Despite the number of senior students who are expected to actively seek jobs at the fair, Concini said students of all years and majors are invited to attend.

Emmanuel Chambliss, a freshman in engineering, said he plans to attend the engineering career fair on Feb. 15 at the McKimmon Center.

“The more I put myself out now, the more likely I am to receive an internship or co-op,” Chambliss said. “The early bird gets the worm.”

A complete list of the companies represented at the fair is available on the UCC’s Web site.

“When you get there, there will be maps of where every organization is in the room,” Williams said. “So if you picked out companies beforehand, you can find them easily.”