By Brian Rosenthal

Contributing Writer

Last year, more than 63 percent of Northwestern students had already landed a full-time job by graduation.

For some seniors and graduate students, the process of getting hired begins today at the fall Campus Recruiting Expo.

“Companies who are actively recruiting on campus right now come (to the Expo) with eager representatives,” said Lonnie Dunlap, director of University Career Services. “The initial meeting is one of the most important because it gives students a chance to get started.”

The Expo, organized by career services and occurring from noon to 4 p.m. in the Louis Room in Norris University Center, will feature 93 employers, primarily in the business and consulting fields, said Brett Boettcher, the assistant director for government, education, and nonprofit at career services.

Organizers expect 700-800 students to attend the fair, all for varied reasons. Some, such as graduate student Jun Fang, want to talk to specific companies.

“There’s three to four companies I’m interested in (talking to),” Fang said.

Others are primarily looking to gain some experience in what the job search is like.

“I guess the ultimate goal would be to land a job, or at least an interview,” said Anna-Louise Burdett, a Music senior. “But mostly just to get used to the process of applying for a job. It’s very daunting at first.”

A few underclassmen are expected at the Expo as well.

“Everybody’s welcome because everyone can get value out of the event,” Boettcher said. “Freshmen can learn about different career fields. Sophomores can do the same and can start looking at internships.”

The fair is part of the “Backpack to Briefcase” program, a series of eight events put on by career services in the past week and culminating in the Expo today. The third-annual program prepares graduating students for the transition from college to the job market.

The events included strategy sessions on how to prepare for the job fair, meetings to help students determine what careers to investigate and question-and-answer sessions with panelists from diverse companies.

At the “Job Search in Government, Education and Non-profit” session, two employers, Sam Burns, of The Field Museum, and Matt Smith, of the Inner-City Teaching Corps, gave advice on meeting potential employers. The tips ranged from the importance of the first impression to the need for a professional-looking e-mail address on a resum