Career fair gives students valuable experience, good opportunity

A career fair was held in the University Union Thursday for Slippery Rock University students.

At the Job Search 101 event, more than 50 companies were on hand to network with students, who were invited to sign up for jobs and internships.

Many of these companies were looking to employ SRU students and had specific characteristics they looked for in a potential employee, including Dollar Bank, Mid-Atlantic Youth Services, Glade Run Lutheran Services, the Pa. Board of Probation and Parole, Comcast, George Junior Republic and the Polk Center Department of Public Welfare.

Almost all companies expected SRU students to be dressed professionally, come prepared with resumes, and to have researched the company and know about its history.

According to Jennifer Matcuk and Carol Moon, recruiters from Dollar Bank, a firm handshake is also very important.

"It's important that students introduce themselves and ask what positions we are hiring before they hand us a resume, because a lot of times students are interested in a job that isn't available," Matcuk said.

Other companies, such as Mid-Atlantic Youth Services, look for students to have leadership qualities and be a good role model, because that is what their work primarily deals with.

Lynn Grinder, from Glade Run Luther Services, a social service agency, said that she goes to 15 to 20 job fairs a year, so its important that students can stand out from the crowd.

Comcast representative Mark Smith said that he looks for students to be energetic, confident, and have good eye contact to leave a lasting impression. "Energy is huge," Smith said.

For Tom Jones from human resources at George Junior Republic, dependability is one of the top issues.

"Ninety percent of life is showing up," Jones said.

Students, however, had mixed reviews of what they expected to get out of a job fair, and used different tactics to hit it off with various professionals.

Sarah Ardeno, an accounting major who is graduating in May, came to the fair looking for a job.

The students who attended the fair said the presentation held in the Eisenberg auditorium on Tuesday made the fair a lot easier.

"The information session that was on Tuesday was very helpful," Ardeno said. "It prepared me for today and answered a lot of my questions."

When asked about what she would lie about at a career fair, Ardeno said that, if anything, she would lie about her time management skills.

"I work best under pressure, so I tend to procrastinate," Ardeno said.

Vanere Maynard and Phillip Pesko, senior computer science majors, came to the job fair to investigate potential salaries, and would never lie in an interview.

Jeremy Feehan, a job fair veteran, didn't go to the information session offered Tuesday, and mostly utilized the fair for networking purposes and to see what was available.

Junior accounting major Nick Miller came to the fair with few expectations. "I am here mostly for networking," Miller said. "But if I could get an internship out of it, that would be great." According to Miller, if he were to lie about anything in an interview, it would be about being confrontational. "I'm not actually that up front with people, but I know that is what some employers want to hear."

Cory Johnson, senior accounting major, and David Jenkins, senior political science major, came to the fair looking for both internship and job opportunities. Both students recognized the importance of image at career fairs.

"How you present yourself is half of the battle," Johnson said.

Neither said they were nervous or that they would lie in an interview.

"Anything you would lie about would eventually come back to you," Jenkins said.