Over 100 PSU-LV students attended a recent Business and Technology Job Fair on campus. Thirty companies from a variety of industries, including health care, manufacturing, and retail, were on hand to speak with students about job and internship opportunities.
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — Nearly 200 Penn State Lehigh Valley (PSU-LV) students learned about the many job opportunities at companies in and around the Lehigh Valley at a recent Business and Technology Job Fair held on campus.
Thirty-five companies representing sectors as diverse as manufacturing, information technology, health care, and retail were on hand to meet with students and share information about full- and part-time positions, as well as internships.
Not only did students learn more about jobs available locally and across the region, but they were able to network and start building professional relationships with business representatives. Preparation was a critical component this year, said Lauren Schwartz, career specialist at PSU-LV. Schwartz and her team held a series of Prepare for the Fair workshops, worked with Student Affairs to have an enhanced career section at their Free-Cycle Friday events, and invited the college’s First Generation college students to do a walk through and practice their elevator pitches.
“Students seemed to really enjoy the experience. For many, it was the first time they had attended a job fair. We had first- and second-year students who weren’t really looking for a job or internship but saw the value of attending and practicing those professional networking skills so they feel more confident and know what to expect next time around,” Schwartz said. “I’m proud of our students for taking it seriously. They were really prepared, and our employers saw that.”
Mark Capofari, lecturer, project and supply chain management, said it was a great way to connect the campus with the community. “An event like a job fair gives students exposure, even first year students, so they are more acclimated and prepared for the whole interview process,” he said.
Capofari thanked the job fair steering committee for their assistance preparing for and executing the day, as well as preparing the students. Committee members were James Tubman, lecturer, management; Pedro Robles, assistant teaching professor of cybersecurity and operations; Kermit Burley, retired information technology and cyber security professor, and Mary Kate Maguire, marketing and communications specialist, strategic communications department.
“We improved upon last year’s numbers. Student attendance was up by 15 or 20 percent,” Capofari said. “This is generally a good event. It energizes the campus — we have lots of people pitching in to help out.”
The employers, too, were energized by the students’ preparedness and enthusiasm.
“We were thrilled with the turnout,” Schwartz said. “We’re a smaller campus, so having 170 students attend was great for the size of our campus. These events give students the chance to meet employers face to face, which you don’t get during the application process. It gives [students] a chance to meet company representatives and tell their story. There was a lot of collaboration across the campus both to organize the event and encourage the students to come out. A lot of faculty and staff were pushing the students to go. They realize not only how important the classroom information is, but how it applies to real life.”
PSU-LV will be adding a 4-year engineering degree to their academic programs beginning fall 2025. Capofari is looking forward to engineering companies participating in next fall’s job fair.
