FARMINGTON -- The University of Maine at Farmington played host Thursday to recruiters from more than 40 businesses and organizations. Filling the North Dining Hall and spilling into the hallways of the UMF's Olsen Student Center, recruiters were on hand to hire for part-time and full-time entry level positions, as well as summer jobs and internships.

According to Judy Burdick, administrative assistant for the Center for Human Development at UMF, there was a steady flow of students registering and attending the career fair.

One of the more than one dozen camp representatives in attendance, Casey Mealey of Camp Susan Curtis, in Stoneham, was seeking students interested in filling summer counselor vacancies. Other camp organizations represented spanned from Rangeley to southern Maine, promising summer fun, housing and a wonderful experience. Mutual fund brokerages were in attendance; each pitching their opportunities.

For those looking for local employment with room to advance, human resource managers Kristopher Silva and Faith Flannery were explaining the benefits of working for Rite Aid. According to Silva, Farmington's new store is scheduled to open in early fall. The store is expected to generate 10 to 12 new positions. "The design of this store will be much different than what Farmington has now. It will be very open, customer friendly and employee friendly. We will need to be prepared," said Silva.

Joe Parker, a UMF student majoring in business and economy, said he has attended many of the UMF-sponsored career fairs and finds them to be very helpful in getting experience speaking to potential employers and getting his resume out.

"I am waiting to hear about a job offer from an earlier event," he said. However, he expressed some disappointment in such events saying "sometimes it feels like at least some of the organizations are here to just get their name out and are not really hiring."

UMF student, Dustin Biggs, agreed. "It's been a good experience, getting over being nervous about approaching them. The hard part was having them all so close together. When you make your pitch to one there is no privacy and you may want to speak to the representative in the very next booth."

For those looking at a career in education, the UMF Center for Human Development will sponsor its annual Education Job Fair in the Dearborn Gym on April 28. The event is Maine's only job fair specifically targeting prospective teachers. The event draws recruiters from across the country. Information can be found at chd.umf.maine.edu/Recruiting/Educationjobfair.php.