Finishing a degree is preparation for the next step after college, putting that education to work.
For many people, that means searching for a job at a career fair. Penn State is doing those back to back this week.
On Monday, the university welcomed about 70 employers to the HUB-Robeson Center for a career fair where students could meet with representatives of businesses and industry.
On Tuesday, that will be followed up with a different kind of job fair. This one won’t happen at the HUB. It happens in cyberspace.
“We were really gearing it to all different kinds of students,” said coordinator Sherry Rice. “For us, it was that we opened it up to all employers, maybe even those who couldn’t come here physically because they didn’t have the time or money to travel for a career fair.”
The online fair, Working in Pennsylvania, is in its third year. It is targeted at Pennsylvania-specific jobs, especially those within an hour or so from campus. About 15 employers will participate this time around.
Rice said that the fair serves a need for students as well.
“A lot of World Campus students attend, and a lot of Commonwealth Campus students attend,” she said.
Those students, who might be anyplace in Pennsylvania, or in other states or even other countries, can still take advantage of the university’s attempts to help connect them with Pennsylvania employers.
What can be harder to tell is how many of them are actually getting jobs.
“We ask a lot of times if they’ve gotten first round interviews, but we don’t know what the end result is,” said Rice. “It’s hard data to get.”
What they can say is that employers like GE, Enterprise, Wegmans and more come back to the physical and online fairs, and that jobs in legal, engineering, medical and social services fields are well represented.
“It’s a great opportunity for those that want to stay in the area,” Rice said.
The online job fair will take place from 3-6 p.m. Tuesday at http://careerfairs.psu.edu/Pennsylvania.
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