Representatives from Southern Company, Nike, Home Depot, King's Hawaiian, Equifax, along with area poultry labs, insurance companies, banks, a logistical business and even the Gainesville Parks and Recreation department will descend on the University of North Georgia's Gainesville Campus for one day with a mission: find qualified candidates to hire.

About 40 employers will participate in the 2018 Spring Job Fair from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 27, in the Robinson Ballroom at the Student Center. Employers are seeking candidates to fill full-time, part-time, seasonal, and internship positions.

"UNG is a high commodity with this location and companies are looking for students to employ," said Edward Wai-Ming Lai, associate director of UNG's Career Services.

In fact, representatives from retailer Nike and fashion designer Michael Kors plan to attend the job fair following previous visits to the campus, said Christy Morrison, office administrator for Career Services.

"And we usually have a waiting list," Lai said.

Syfan Logistics, a transportation logistics firm based in Gainesville, Georgia, plans to attend again as the company has a good relationship with UNG. Last fall, Syfan employed 12 UNG students as seasonal workers during its peak period.

"The great thing about dealing with students is they have drive, initiative and direction," said Stuart Millar, logistics project coordinator with Syfan. "I appreciated their enthusiasm and skillset. They were very optimistic. That energy level is a wonderful thing to inject into the work environment."

After the seasonal period, Millar explained four students were hired immediately full time.

"I would say it was 100 percent successful for us as a business," he said. "We are delighted with the folks we've gotten from UNG."

While businesses benefit from access to the ready-to-work candidate pool, UNG students and alumni benefit as well. Attendees connect with potential employers and interact with them on a professional level. This one-on-one communication may lead to acquiring an interview and ultimately a job, Lai said.

Millar added interacting with employers may lead to other job openings. For example, a couple of students approached him previously about geo-coding. While Syfan does not have a coding position, the company has connections to a coding software company.

"We were able to refer them to a business that utilizes those services," Millar said. "The business world is all about relationships and you never know where that will take you."

Attendees, however, must come prepared. Lai advises to bring five to 10 copies of their resume and to dress professionally. For example, men should wear a button-down shirt and khaki pants or dress pants. Women should wear a skirt or dress pants with a coordinating top. Both need to wear the appropriate shoes, too.

"No blue jeans, no shorts, no tennis shoes, and no flip flops," Lai said. "They also should prepare some questions to ask employers."

He said if anyone does not have a resume or know what questions to ask, they can email, call, or stop by to make an appointment with Career Services.

Once they are prepared and step into the Job Fair, Career Services staff will be there to assist.

"It can be scary to walk up to and approach employers," Morrison said.

Lai agreed.

"Some students just walk around and don't make contact," he said. "So we will pull them aside and lead them to an employer."

Many students learn from this experience.

"They will come back to us and say 'I did it,'" Lai said. "And they will have the confidence to do it more and again."

That confidence can lead to the ultimate goal — landing the job.