MEDIA RESOURCES

Friday, April 12, 2002
Career Fair: 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Networking Reception: 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Cox School of Business, Southern Methodist University
Arthur Andersen Gallery - Fincher Building
6212 Bishop Blvd.
Map link: http://www.smu.edu/maps/campus.asp

Affiliated Computer Services (ACS), A.G. Edwards, AXA Advisors, Blockbuster, eLSG.SkyChef, Fleming, HFG Advisors, LJ Melody & Company, Match.com, Merger Partners Incorporated, SBC Communications, 7-Eleven/Southland, Steak 'n Shake, Texas Instruments, Trammell Crow Company, TXU, and VHA Inc.

Available for media interviews is Career Management Center Director Dennis Grindle, recently quoted in the Wall Street Journal and the Dallas Morning News. Grindle effectively addresses how economic ups and downs are impacting on-campus recruiting trends.

DALLAS, Texas (SMU) - In response to a brighter economic forecast, the Cox School's Career Management Center (CMC) is hosting an MBA Career Fair to help employers address their "just in time" hiring needs.

On-campus recruiting last fall, when most career fairs are traditionally held, was impacted by corporate spending cuts in response to tough economic times, bringing in fewer companies and fewer jobs for students. This experience was evidence of findings from the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) job outlook survey. NACE found that 30 percent of employers who responded were planning to cut back on their college hiring this year. However, with recent signs of an economic rebound on the horizon, companies are in a flurry to fill open positions and gear up for increased business.

Seventeen companies¾including A.G. Edwards, Blockbuster, SBC Communications, Texas Instruments, and VHA Inc.¾will meet with 53 first-year and second-year Cox MBAs seeking internships and full-time positions. Following the three-hour career fair, a networking reception will give employers and candidates the opportunity to visit in a less formal environment.

SMU's Cox School of Business offers a full range of business education programs, from BBA and full-time MBA to Professional MBA (PMBA), Executive MBA (EMBA), and Executive Education. Cox is ranked among the top business schools nationally and internationally by major publications including BusinessWeek, Financial Times, Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, and U.S. News & World Report. In addition, the school's Business Leadership Center (BLC), Caruth Institute of Owner-Managed Business, American Airlines Global Leadership Program (GLP), and Associate Board executive mentoring program are recognized nationally and internationally.