While many of his classmates were bundled up in hooded sweatshirts and other usual college garb last week, Iowa State University (ISU) sophomore Marcus Uthe pulled a crisp blue dress shirt out of his closet, cinched a tie around his neck and went job-seeking.

The Riceville native was among an estimated 2,000 students attending ISU’s annual Ag Career Day job fair, billed as the largest such event in the country.

This ...