In this economic crisis, many college students are feeling nervous about finding employment after graduation, and OU Career Services is hoping to help with today’s engineering and Sooner Showcase career fairs at the Lloyd Noble Center.

“I’m trying my hardest right now to not be anxious even though I feel a little bit of anxiety,” said Anthony Chastain, a construction science senior who is completing the last six hours of his degree and attempting to secure a job after graduation.

Chastain is one of many students who will attend today’s career fairs.

“We’re all about promoting students to the employers [of interested companies],” said Bette Scott, director of Career Services. “We help students package themselves so that they are attractive to the employer.”

Scott said Career Services has been hosting several workshops this week to help students create appealing resumes for potential employers and learn many interviewing techniques that will be useful at career fairs.

“It’s the job search game,” Scott said. “And we coach students on how to play this game, and play it successfully.”

Scott said Career Services hosts 11 career fairs each year, and she anticipates a good turnout at today’s event with 88 companies coming to the Engineering Career fair and 75 companies attending the Sooner Showcase.

She said she believes they will have a good number of alumni at the career fairs as well.

“A lot of students come back to these career fairs looking for jobs, especially in this job market,” Scott said.

Chastain said the career fair is one way to help him meet potential employers and practice interviews.

“It’s tough because I don’t know what I’m going to find, but I know God will lead me to something,” Chastain said. “I’m just in that waiting period, and I’m trying to make the most of it.”

Chastain said he has been sending in applications to different companies and is just searching for jobs right now.

“Jobs are hard to find right now, especially in construction,” Chastain said. “And construction management is super tough.”

Although several years await Zachary Watson, University College freshman, before graduation and the beginning of his job search, he is preparing now for the internships and jobs he hopes to find to help him in his chosen career path, Watson said.

Studying to become an engineer, Watson said he isn’t too worried about the job market in the petroleum field right now.

“As of right now, there aren’t a lot of petroleum engineers out there,” he said. “Hopefully, it stays the same.”

Watson said he already has a plan of which companies he wants to talk to at the engineering career fair, but is willing to be flexible as other companies present themselves.

“I am really looking forward to talking to the Apache Corporation, and also talking to some smaller companies,” Watson said.

Watson’s aunt works for the Apache Corporation, and he is hoping they will show some interest in him as an intern and in securing a future job when he graduates, he said.

“I will intern with them for a couple of years and if I do well with them, they’ll have to decide whether to pick me or not,” Watson said.