Tatiana Campos-Teixeira

Over 200 employers will recruit for internships and full-time jobs at Penn State’s annual Career Fair, with many opportunities in Greater Philadelphia and around the country. On September 13th, Penn State Abington will provide transportation to and from Main Campus so that Abington students can attend. Students can view the companies in attendance on this list of employers. PSU Career Fair is one of the largest collegiate career fairs in the nation, consisting of many different job opportunities and networking connections for students.

 

Steps to prepare

CPD suggests preparing before attending the trip, however not only is it to research the companies attending and the positions available, but there are a few other steps as well.

1. Dress Professionally; To attend the event it is required to be dressed in professional attire, otherwise, they will not let you onto the bus to go on the trip. Career and Professional Development has developed a helpful site on what they consider to be appropriate business attire, as well as how to prepare for the career fair.
2. Research employers; CPD suggests researching the list of companies attending the fair. You can look for opportunities and positions available to see if any are according to your major and career path.
3. Print resumes; Although it is not required, CPD also recommends having resumes printed and ready to hand out to employers. They will be disrupting padfolios with advice for interviews as well as a place for your resume. Michelle Daly, Assistant Director for Employer Engagement, stated it was best to have “at least 20 copies” of resumes to hand out during the fair. If you are unsure of the contents on your resume or do not have one written, you can book an appointment using Nittany Lion Careers. The career counselors can assist you with writing and formatting your resume so as to capture the attention of employers.

What should a student know to be a successful candidate? CPD says that “Research is the key. There are many great organizations at the fair, including many that students won’t recognize. Do your research so that you can narrow down your list to the organizations that interest you. Then, when you speak with them, demonstrate that you did your research by asking specific questions about the work they do or about a role you saw posted on their website. This will help you stand out from the hundreds of students that didn’t take the time to learn about the company.”

 

For more information about the week of employers and the fair and how to prepare you can visit the Fall/Spring Career Days at Penn State.