Students meet potential employers at Regional Career Expo

A student attending the Penn State Northeast Region Career Expo talks with a company representative.

A student attending the Penn State Northeast Region Career Expo on Monday speaks with one of the employers at the event, while other students make their way through the expo. The event was attended by more than 100 students and 40 regional employers.

Credit: Kelly Frey

This year Penn State Worthington Scranton hosted the 2016 Eastern Region Career Expo and Luncheon, which featured over 40 employers from around the region and connected students from five Penn State campuses to job and internship opportunities.

The participating University campuses were Hazelton, Lehigh Valley, Schuylkill, Wilkes-Barre and Worthington Scranton. Over 100 students participated in the event and as a bonus, had the opportunity to win many prizes from gift cards to gift baskets and more.

All students received a padfolio for participating in the event as well, providing them with a professional way to walk around speaking to businesses and handing out resumes.

The event kicked off with a luncheon in the Multipurpose Building that provided students with the opportunity to speak with representatives of area employers who matched their areas of interest. Students learned more about the individual companies, internships, job opportunities and more.

The luncheon was followed by a career fair in the Study Learning Center, where students were able to visit employer booths, hand out resumes, exchange business cards and learn about the many career opportunities that exist in northeast Pennsylvania.

Companies in attendance included Mass Mutual Financial Group; PepperJam, a Marketing Firm; Boden; Pennsylvania State Police; and Geisinger Health System. Every student, no matter their class level or major, found the event to be a great experience.

Lauren Watson, career coach at Penn State SMEAL said the event was a great place for students to find opportunities after graduation. 

“It was a pleasure seeing so many Penn State students from all five eastern region campuses connecting with local employers to learn about opportunities, research prospective employers, and become more comfortable introducing themselves to recruiters," she said.

Students representing various majors and class years were able to experience quality interactions with employers at both the networking luncheon and the expo.

But that wasn't the only way students got involved.

Many students volunteered for the event, helping to make it the success it was. Members from the campus' Business Club helped set up the rooms and directed people to where they needed to go, along with faculty, staff and other students.

Career Services Coordinator Jon Tobin recognized all the volunteers and thanked them for their time and efforts in contributing to the event's success.