Employer participation at area college career fairs is down and fewer have full-time positions to fill. But students seeking internships are coming to the right place.

About 30 percent fewer employers had booths at this year’s fall career fair at Northwest Missouri State University.

“I’m not afraid at all,” said Cherece Milton, a junior broadcasting major, of her post-college life. “There are always alternative plans.”

Ms. Milton has her eye on a news anchor job in her hometown of St. Louis, but made her rounds in Lamkin Gymnasium Wednesday where 60 employers, from Worlds of Fun to Wells Fargo, set up camp. She said graduate school or a stint at Teach for America are in her fallback plan.

Colleen Kremer, a human resources employee with FCS Financial, said recruitment is aimed at finding interns, as their jobs offerings are slim. Talking to other employers Wednesday, she said her company isn’t unique in that aspect.

“The internship position is almost like a job interview,” Ms. Kremer said. “It gives us a chance to see their skills. It also gives the intern an opportunity to see if they want to do it full time.”

Like most career fairs, Northwest’s represented a fraction of jobs actually available in the region. Joan Schneider, director of career services, said about 80 percent of regional job openings aren’t publicized. She and her staff can only help students come up with a strategy — where, geographically, do they want to work, what type of work do they want to do, and for whom do they want to work?

“We feel good about those (students) who come,” Ms. Schneider said of the typical career fair participant. “We worry about those students who don’t.”

Missouri Western State University’s career fair last week saw a similar decrease in employer participation. Linda Garlinger, director of career services, said companies that can’t hire during the economic downturn recruit interns.

“That was a trend we saw almost instantly once the economy dropped,” Ms. Garlinger said, adding that engineering, accounting, and health care positions are still in demand.

Jimmy Myers can be reached

at jimmym@npgco.com