The Rocket

Issue date: 4/8/05 Section: Life

Media Credit: PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY NATHAN COLLINS

How about a job that allows you to wake up at 11 a.m., work as long as you'd like from the comfort of your own home, without the pressure of deadlines, quotas, or managers? How about a six-figure salary with benefits for doing it? Sounds like a dream come true, doesn't it? Or maybe just one of those signs with a 1-800 number posted to a bulletin board. Well, in any case, good luck finding it.

For the rest of the world that will one day find a job rather than lay around all day waiting for the aforementioned pipe dream, Slippery Rock University offers opportunities daily for students to find work, inquire about a future career, or apply for an internship. Thursday was no exception.

Careers in Government Day, a job fair highlighting the many opportunities for work in both the federal and state governments, was held in the multi-purpose room of SRU's student union Thursday afternoon from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m. The event gave students a chance to meet and interact with government officials from such varied posts as the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, the Pennsylvania State Police, the U.S. Army, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Over 400 students from SRU, California University of Pennsylvania, Clarion University, Grove City College, Penn State Shenango, and the University of Pittsburgh Greensburg and Johnstown campuses packed the MPR to gather information about the many professions the government has to offer.

The event also featured three individual "breakout" sessions, each offering advice on topics relating to the process of applying for a government job.

The day was highlighted by the keynote address of James H. Turner, Jr., the Chief Democratic Counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Science. The event kicked off with a 30-minute speech by Turner that outlined his own life, the positions he has held, and career advice for the students in attendance.

In his speech, Turner made key points relating the government and the potential employment opportunities for students, pointing out most notably that the government is the single largest employer in the United States.

Turner, a native of New Wilmington, Pennsylvania, has earned degrees from Westminster College and Georgetown and Yale Universities. He has also had a wide range of occupations, toiling as a social worker, an engineer, and now, as a diplomat. Turner offered students encouragement throughout his speech, but also warned of the dangers of complacency.

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