Students gathered in the Graduate School of Education’s Gutman Conference Center on Friday for a fair on careers in federal, state, and local government—an event which would have been scaled down had the government shutdown not ended Thursday.

The fair was hosted by schools across the University as well as the Institute of Politics. The event, which encouraged students to “think beyond the shutdown," drew employers from careers ranging from the Cambridge City Council to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to the White House Internship program.

The event, coordinated by the Office of Career Services, was designed to connect students to potential employers. Students said the “meet up” allowed them to network with representatives from government organizations, hand out their resumes, and learn how to they might break into careers in the public sector.

“This is a great chance for me to network, ask questions, and see people face to face,” Happy Yang ’16 said.

Many attendees at the event said they believed that the shutdown might lead more students to be interested in jobs in government after graduation.

“I think students will have more incentive to join the government because there is so much room for improvement,” said Cheryl Y. Campos ’15, a student ambassador for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

“Students want to help solve the problems of today,” added Campos, who is also an inactive Crimson news editor.

As the end of on-campus recruitment winds down, IOP Internships and Career Services Coordinator Sadie Polen said that for some the path to politics and public service isn’t as clear as other opportunities on campus.

“But for the summer, during the academic year, and post-graduation, there are many opportunities for undergraduates interested in public service,” Polen added.

—Staff writer Irfan Mahmud can be reached at irfan.mahmud@thecrimson.com. Follow him on Twitter @irfanxmahmud.