UT Career Services along with Oak Ridge Economic Partnership will be hosting "So, You Want to Work in Oak Ridge, TN?" on Feb. 16 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in the Shiloh Room of the University Center. This is an opportunity for students to learn more about working in an East Tennessee city with national significance.

This is the first time that Career Services has held a workshop that focuses on a particular city. Oak Ridge is located approximately 35 minutes northwest of Knoxville.

We wanted our students to know that the Oak Ridge and Innovation Valley area hire all majors and experience levels and we wanted them to hear that from the employers themselves.  Leslie Fox, Career Services consultant for the College of Engineering"The ideas first came about when we realized that there are many students and alumni that really don't understand the Oak Ridge system and how to reach out and find employers," Leslie Fox, Career Services consultant for the College of Engineering, said.

"There was also the idea that only engineering and technical jobs are available. We wanted our students to know that the Oak Ridge and Innovation Valley area hire all majors and experience levels and we wanted them to hear that from the employers themselves," Fox said.

The workshop is designed for undergraduate and graduate students looking for employment, from seasonal to full-time, in the Oak Ridge area.

Gerald Boyd, manager of the U.S. Department of Energy in Oak Ridge, will open the event with a presentation focusing on how operations at the Department of Energy involve contractors and subcontractors.

There will be a question and answer session with a panel of Oak Ridge employers who will address issues such as security clearances, job opportunities for various degrees, international hiring, future hiring needs and how and when to start searching for a job in Oak Ridge.

"At Career Services, we often hear frustration on the student's part when they feel that they can only submit resumes online and hope for an answer," Fox said. "This is their chance to hear about the steps they should be taking now or in the future, regardless if they are freshmen, graduating seniors, graduate students or alumni."

Students are welcome to come dressed as they would for class, but Fox wants to remind everyone that with the chance to introduce yourself to future employers, first impressions count.