Elizabethtown College hosts a variety of events to help students prepare for the future. Friday, Nov. 3, the Job, Internship and Graduate School Expo took place in Thompson Gymnasium from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
About 90 recruiters attended the expo. Roughly 60 of the recruiters were employers, and an estimated 30 were graduate schools. Employers were looking for students to fill a variety of positions, ranging from full- and part-time jobs to internships and summer employment. Graduate schools offered a variety of master’s and certificate programs in fields such as business, health sciences, law, nursing and education.
Some courses, such as CP 172 Professional Skills Development and Defining Career Goals and EN 282 Technical Writing, required students to attend the expo. Other students attended outside of class.
“A lot of students don’t know where to start, so it organizes the process for them,” senior Dru Schneider said.
When students arrived at the expo, they signed in at the table near the entrance and filled out a name tag with their name, major and graduation year. They also received a guidebook with tips on how to make the most out of the expo, information on each recruiter and a map of where each table was.
“I had a great experience,” senior Alexandra Von Otto said. “The employers were really talkative and open. You could tell they were definitely recruiting.”
Von Otto has attended job fairs outside of Etown and was pleasantly surprised by the amount of people and energy present at the expo. The event helped broaden her horizons and consider employers she had not thought of before.
Schneider also thought that a lot of the recruiters reached out to students as they walked by the tables. Junior Taylor DeBlock added that many students leave the expo knowing a company that they like.
“It’s a great way to get a foot in the door with employers,” DeBlock said.
For next steps after the expo, the guidebook recommends writing thank-you notes to recruiters. Students should follow up and reiterate their interest in a company or graduate school. Students can also contact Career Services for additional help looking for a job, internship or graduate school. The guidebook also recommends attending other job fairs and Career Services programs. Students can take advantage of on-campus recruiting as well.
For the next expo, Von Otto recommended asking recruiters questions about the hours and responsibilities of the position. She also recommended asking about the company’s goals and growth.
“Look at everything from a bird eye’s view,” Von Otto said.
The guidebook offered additional advice, such as having a plan before approaching a recruiter, being positive and confident, keeping an open mind and being ready to answer personal questions. Recommendations in the guidebook are courtesy of the Central Pennsylvania Employment Consortium.
The expo was sponsored by Career Services. For more information about the event or career planning, students can contact Career Services at careerservices@etown.edu or by calling 717-361-1206.
