More than 120 companies crowded the Events Center Thursday afternoon to speak with and recruit Binghamton University students.

The Job and Internship Fair, which attracts employers from across the country such as Macy’s, IBM, General Electric and GEICO, is open to students of all years and majors.

Denise Lorenzetti, associate director for employer and alumni outreach at the Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development, recommends that all students who attend networking events prepare beforehand.

“The fair caters towards students of all disciplines,” Lorenzetti said. “It is a great way for students to make connections with prospective employers.”

The fair welcomed employers from a wide variety of industries and professions, all of whom are seeking to hire BU students for a variety of intern and full-time positions. Last fall’s Job and Internship Fair had over 2,500 students in attendance and this year’s fair had approximately the same amount.

According to School of Management (SOM) Career Services, students — especially juniors and seniors — should utilize the Job and Internship Fair to network and develop their professional skills.

“Students should attend the job & internship fair to build their network with professionals, learn about internship and full time opportunities, practice their elevator pitch, make contacts and increase their chances of obtaining an interview,” Carolyn Schapiro, director of SOM Career Services, wrote in an email.

Students who could not attend the Job and Internship Fair or who are exploring additional career opportunities can search HireBING, Binghamton University’s online job search database. The Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development encourages students to utilize this database to apply for internship and work opportunities for many of the companies present at the Job and Internship Fair, as well as many others which don’t attend the Fair.

Over 100 Binghamton University alumni were in attendance this year representing their employers. According to Christina Chen, a senior majoring in computer science, the job and internship fair is a great way to connect with BU alumni.

“I have attended the Job and Internship Fair every semester since my sophomore year,” Chen said. “I have been able to connect with a lot of employers and Binghamton alumni. Making these connections at last year’s career fair helped me get an internship last summer, and I hope the same for this year.”