Students, get out those resumes and business suits, the real world's coming for a visit.

UD will be holding the year's first Career Fair on Thursday, Feb. 16, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the College Park Center (formerly the NCR building) on Brown Street. The event, managed by Career Services, offers students opportunities to find internships, cooperative education and part-time or full-time positions, as well as chances to network.

More than 700 students and alumni are expected to attend the fair, which boasts 80 employers from across the nation, according to Lisa Warren, assistant director of career advising. Participating organizations include Catholic Social Services, the FBI, Prudential Financial and Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp.

'It's very diverse this year,' said Warren, who organized the fair for nine years. She added that employment opportunities seem to be 'on the rise,' judging from the number of organizations interested in participating.

Looking for a job or internship can be a frightening experience, so Career Services offers workshops and advising to prepare students. Career fair training was held last week, and staff will be on hand to review resumes today from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Caldwell Center.

'We do everything so that they can go to any career fair nationwide and be prepared,' Warren said.

With the range of organizations represented at the fair, any and all majors are encouraged to attend.

'There's a misconception that there's just one major,' Warren said. She advised students to 'think outside of the box,' and approach companies that might not necessarily have to do with their major. Different branches within a company or organization will require different skills, and sometimes representatives know the right people to contact in an industry.

'Initiate a spark in that company,' Warren said. 'You just never know.'

The fair will be set up in the same way as it has in years past, apart from the change of location from the PAC. An additional difference will be the presence of students from the Dayton Early College Academy, who will be touring the event.

As soon as this fair is over, Warren will begin preparing for the next one, gathering feedback, determining student needs, contacting organizations and looking at market trends. One important aspect of this process is finding out what students look for in employers and what companies they're interested in, and Warren encouraged students to contact Career Services with suggestions and feedback.

'It's a year-round planning process,' she said.

Despite the time commitment, coordinating the various efforts of campus groups like Facilities Management, student organizations or catering, as well as the employers, has its rewards for Warren.

'It's great just to see all the groups on campus coming together,' she said. 'That makes UD what it is.'