The 25th annual Central Pennsylvania Employment Consortium (CPEC) Job and Internship Fair took place Tuesday, Feb. 17 at the Radisson Hotel Harrisburg. CPEC was founded in 1987. The board is made up of representatives from 17 local institutions of higher education, including Elizabethtown College’s Tina Mackenzie, assistant director of internships and employer engagement.
Etown students were granted free entrance to the CPEC job fair. A free shuttle was available to Etown students who did not have a ride to Harrisburg. Students were expected to dress professionally and bring several copies of their resume.
The job fair featured dozens of employers from several fields with internship opportunities, part-time and full-time entry level positions. Many were open to all majors, but an index of employers with “most relevant majors” was given to students. The guidebook also had brief descriptions of the employers. There was a students-only resource room for students to catch their breath or look over their notes.
The event was open to students of all majors and years. Knowing how to properly network and interact with employers is a skill that you “can progressively improve” with practice, MacKenzie said, adding that more underclassmen should use these types of events as a building block. She stressed that “an opportunity typically does not come to you,” and that students need to actively seek out chances to interact with employers and understand the job market.
CPEC does not pick the employers for the fair; instead, the schools on the board send out invitations to their employer list. This opportunity is open to practically anyone from non-profits to larger organizations looking for interns. Some employers even come from regions as far away as Florida. Each employer pays to attend, but for the price of their entrance, “they’re getting [to meet] a wide range of students” MacKenzie remarked.
Regarding the timing of the job fair, most job fairs have to be during a weekday, MacKenzie explained, as the employers sending their representatives do so during the work week. For students who were worried about the timing, she added that “planning is ideal,” and if students have class conflicts, they need to be able to plan ahead for these types of day-long events. But it can be worthwhile because “that face to face interaction with recruiters is priceless” MacKenzie said. When you are relying on online applications, you lack that personal element you get from shaking a recruiter’s hand and introducing yourself.
Unfortunately, many students had conflicts they could not work around. “It’s a very inopportune time for me,” senior bio-tech major Jessica Albretch said. “I wanted to go.”
To students not able to attend the fair, there is a copy of the guidebook available online on the CPEC website, and students can get the contact information of the employers that participated. Students should make sure to take advantage of the accessibility of online sources.
For those that could not make it out to Harrisburg but still want the job fair experience, the CPEC Virtual Job Fair opens for students April 15 and continues until July 15. This will be the first year CPEC hosts this type of event. Students will be able to upload their resumes and view dozens of employers. Any questions about the upcoming job fair can be directed to Career Services at CAREERSERVICES@ETOWN.EDU, and more information will become available on the CPEC as the fair approaches.
Other career services events for the semester include mock interviews, an etiquette dinner and their Quick Tips series throughout the month of March. For sophomores in particular, the Annual Job Shadow Day is fast approaching and students can register through Career Services for a chance to participate.
