The FBI recruiter, who asked not to be named, said that she was trying to get undergraduates thinking differently about job opportunities, commenting that she believes public service jobs provided the most meaning.

Most students said they saw the fair as a chance to explore careers that go outside of the traditional business jobs Harvard students typically seek.

Kate E.C. Berndtson ’06, who said that Teach for America and the Peace Corps were the two booths that caught her attention, expressed gratitude for the event.

“Sometimes I think Harvard is a place where you can get locked into an expected track—into the assumption of pursuing a career in i-banking, law or business,” she said.

Janet C. Smith ’82, a representative from Ivy Planning Group—a management consulting firm that assists companies such as MetLife, Time Warner and Nike—echoed the students’ sentiments, recalling that the traditional firms and internships came knocking when she graduated, as well. As an alum, she said she strongly supports the BMF.

“As one of the leading management consulting firms focused on diversity in corporate America, we’ll be bringing on interns this summer and there’s no better place for me to look than my alma mater, ” she said. “Today’s graduates understand that there are opportunities in different places whether it be smaller companies like mine or companies in other industries.”

Samyr Laine ’06 said he saw the fair as a chance to speak with recruiters who were inaccessible at last week’s Career Forum, hosted by the Office of Career Services, and that the event was a good opportunity for minorities seeking jobs.

“There are a lot of agencies and corporations looking to diversify the work force and the alternative career fair is the chance for them to do so,” he said.