On Thurs., Sept. 24, Penn State Behrend’s Career Services held this year’s Fall Career Fair with over 180 employers in attendance. Students and locals alike were able to network and speak with professionals across a wide variety of industries including engineering, manufacturing, business, and many more. The number of businesses and attendees has increased drastically over the years, resulting in the fair taking up both Erie Hall and McGarvey Commons this year. 

In addition to a larger event, Career Services also hosted a prep workshop series focused on helping students better interact with employers and learn career fair etiquette. This etiquette included a dress code. Students who didn’t have access to business professional attire could rent clothes from the Career Closet at Behrend free of charge to fulfill this code. 

With easy access to all of these tools and resources, how did the Career Fair end up going for Behrend students? The result is a mixed bag, with positive reviews of the event mainly coming from engineering and manufacturing majors, specifically upperclassmen. Neutral to negative reactions can be found mainly from business and humanities students. 

“I think there should definitely be a larger business presence,” says Ethan Dongre, a second year finance and accounting student who landed multiple interviews through the career fair. “We have a lot of students local to the Erie area, and I feel like this is currently a missed opportunity for both potential interns and local businesses.” These comments come after it was found that around 120 of the 187 employers at the career fair were recruiting engineering and manufacturing majors only. Leaving nursing, humanities, and business employers to split the other 67 spots. 

In defense of engineering and manufacturing’s presence at the career fair is Justin McCullough, another second year student majoring in mechanical and electrical engineering who says that “the career fair is one of the only places beyond engineering showcases…where engineers can gather in large groups and discuss opportunities.” McCullough compares this to business students who, with tools like LinkedIn and a wide variety of networking events held at the Black School of business, don’t need to put as much pressure on the career fair to succeed and enter their desired field. “Engineers and manufacturers don’t really have an “in” for any existing or soon-to-be created projects unless their skills are recognized and compared to others. It’s recruiting events like the career fair that let the people who work with tangible parts bring their track record to a big table of essentially investors.” 

Nevertheless, regardless of employer turnout, both under and upperclassmen are finding use through the Career Fair. First year business student Sophia Gigliotti says she found the event “really useful because it gave me the opportunity to speak with people that I never really knew were on the business side.” Highlighting what the Career Fair is all about, connecting professionals across industries to the Behrend student body, and fostering success for everyone who attends, both employers and students. Career services undoubtedly have put copious amounts of work into making the career fair fulfill that mission, and with the expansions in preparations and the event itself, it’s safe to say they succeeded.