Employment Guide: Hundreds of employers to seek applicants at annual career fair

Tatum Walker entered the Petersen Events Center last fall with 10 resumés in her hand, joining a crowd of 200 employers and thousands of students.

Dressed in a blouse and skirt with matching pumps, Walker said that she couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by her surroundings. 

Pitt’s Office of Career Development and Placement Assistance will host the fall Career Fair on Wednesday, Sept. 25, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Petersen Events Center. Cheryl Finlay, Director of Career Development and Student Employment, said that more than 3,000 students are expected to attend this year’s fall Career Fair. 

Finlay said that Pitt has hosted the fair for several years and that it has been steadily growing in size ever since. In fact, the event was forced to relocate to the Petersen Events Center in 2008 in order to adjust to the growing number of employers and students in attendance. 

At the fair, students will have the opportunity to interact with more than 200 recruiters from both local and nationalnonprofits and corporations. Government agencies and graduate school representatives will also be in attendance. 

Many of the roughly 200 recruiters that will be at the fair are returning from previous years. But Finlay said that, of those registered for this year, about 11 percent are new. 

She also said that some organizations that hire significant numbers of Pitt students will be returning, including UPMC, PLS Logistics, PNC Financial Services Group, BNY Mellon, Siemens, Teach for America, Dick’s Sporting Goods, American Eagle Outfitters, United States Steel Corporation, Macy’s, Microsoft, Target and Vanguard. 

Students who preregister for the event through the FutureLinks website will be able to view a list of all the registered employers. 

Finlay said that one of the most important things students can do before the fair is familiarize themselves with the companies that interest them. She said that personalizing resumés for these companies is also an important way to prepare. 

Catherine Taylor, an administrative assistant at the Grant Street Group, an organization that specializes in software applications in Pittsburgh, said that her organization will be attending the fair and advised students to specialize their resumés. 

“Take some time to learn about our company and the position that interests you before arriving at the fair. Tailor your questions, answers and resumé to address that position,” she said. 

Taylor said that the Grant Street Group has made connections with students as a result of the Career Fair and has hired eight candidates from Pitt over the last two years for summer internships — one of which resulted in a full-time position after graduation. 

She said that in order to help increase a students’ chances of receiving an interview request after the fair, they must follow certain guidelines. 

In addition to the background research on companies suggested, Finlay also stressed the importance of presentation. 

Finlay said that students should appear both confident and skilled. “Have a firm and confident handshake,” she said. 

Students should also prepare their elevator speeches for employers, which briefly explain who they are and what they want to do. 

And while students may enter the fair with specific employers in mind, Finlay said that they should remember not to overlook employers based on their type of business. 

“Every organization needs well-rounded people with transferable skills and knowledge in such areas as marketing, management, education, psychology and communications,” she said. 

Returning to the Career Fair as a junior, Walker, a Spanish, psychology and studio arts major, said that she will approach organizations that she wouldn’t have thought to go to last year. 

As a result of having experienced the fair last year as a sophomore, Walker said that she is excited to attend once again with a more open mind. 

She said that although the fair is open to all undergraduate and graduate students, she felt that the event caters more to juniors and seniors. “Those are the people that they are ready to hire,” she said.