The biannual flocking of business suits and pencil skirts to the Spring Career Showcase on Tuesday was larger than usual, but it wasn't job-seeking UF students and alumni who made the difference.
The showcase featured a 15 percent increase in employer participation from last spring, according to a Career Resource Center official.
UF students and alumni spoke to representatives from 226 companies at the O'Connell Center on Tuesday for the first half of the two-day Spring Career Showcase, said Elaine Dorsey, assistant director of employee relations at the CRC.
The CRC hosts a showcase each semester to bring potential employers to the school. Students in non-scientific majors attend the first day of the showcase, and students with science-related majors attend the second day.
More than 6,000 students and alumni attended both days of the fall showcase, said CRC Director Heather White. She expects the same number this year.
Dorsey said she believes the increased involvement may be the byproduct of companies failing to meet their hiring quotas for 2012.
"We had a lot of people who registered toward the end of the showcase deadline," she said. "It appears they have a strong forecast with their hiring plans."
George Rogers, a Farmers Insurance representative who attended the showcase, confirmed this trend.
"We've had open spots since we were here in the fall," Rogers said. "There has been a consistent increase in the number of hires since the first quarter of last year."
The expanded participation has led to other job and internship opportunities for students and alumni.
Shipping company R+L Carriers, in its first appearance at the showcase, announced plans to develop an information technology center on University Avenue. The center will bring about 20 full-time jobs and internships, according to R+L Carriers representative Brice Carpenter.
Paul Polito, a 21-year-old finance junior, said he felt more confident about receiving a call back from a potential employer than he did at the last spring showcase.
"There were a lot more high-end employers as opposed to last year," Polito said. "I would give my odds a fair chance."
Students wait in line to talk to a representative from Ryder Logistics and Transportation Solutions Worldwide at the Career Showcase in the O'Connell Center on Tuesday afternoon.
