An all too common occurrence in my recent life is the heart-wrenching panic that takes over when I start thinking about life after graduation. My colleagues fill out applications for summer internships and others I know have had post-graduation jobs lined up for months. I frantically tweak my resume, feeling helpless about the inevitable job search engine result: “Sorry, no jobs were found that match your criteria.”

Columbia held its semi-annual job fair on Oct. 6 in an attempt to alleviate some of students’ anxieties. However, the opportunities weren’t abundant. Of the 27 employers present—a measly number compared to other local colleges—were such institutions as College Nannies & Tutors, Kale Realty and Victoria’s Secret. While some media work and a creative position or two were made available, that isn’t enough to satisfy the professional goals of every Columbia student in a blazer with a resume present at the fair. The job fair seemed to stay true to its name; it brought jobs, not careers, to students.

While Columbia’s Industry Night zeros in on the networking mantra the collegepasses on to its students, it’s the only guaranteed event to offer specialized career opportunities. DePaul University, for example, holds 12 career-related events per year in comparison to Columbia’s four, with such specific fairs as the Music and Entertainment Career Fair along with online options. Not only are the fairs more personalized to the fields students actually want to go into, but DePaul brings more employers to the students—more than 90 businesses.

Stories I’ve heard from fellow students of Columbia job fairs past all end with a few viable employers offering only unpaid internships post-graduation. Other schools, such as University of Illinois at Chicago, provide a comprehensive list of employers and information on the exact positions they are offering for entry-level employees.

Columbia needs to adjust its career aid to offer Industry Night-type events more frequently so students can make connections in their field instead of connecting with managers of retail chains. Before events such as the Oct. 6 job fair take place, more information about the employers and their intentions should be accessible to students. Until more viable career connections are made available by Columbia, I’ll just hope my dream employers read The Chronicle and hire me on the spot. I’m talking to you, New York Times.