Employment Guide: More employers to come to Pitt Annual Career Fair

The job market might be dismal, but students’ chances of earning that first job or internship… The job market might be dismal, but students’ chances of earning that first job or internship might be a little bit easier if they attend the Career Fair this year.

The Career Fair will be held at the Petersen Events Center on Sept. 28 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will host more than 250 companies, internship hosts and graduate schools.

All Pitt students and alumni can attend the fair. Attendees can expect more than 200 employers and 60 new employers this year, said Monica Valera, special events and marketing coordinator for the Office of Student Employment & Placement Assistance.

Valera recommended that students and alumni pre-register to see the complete list of employers at the Career Fair in order to research the employers and tailor their resumes accordingly.

The link is on my.pitt.edu page under the My Resources Tab. The first tab is “Career Fair — Office of Student Employment,” and from there, students will be brought to the Fall 2011 Career Fair page. On the left side of the Web page under “Welcome” is “Register.” Students can fill out their personal information on this page.

There won’t just be internships and full-time and part-time employment opportunities for students and alumni. Fifty graduate and professional schools will also be present. These schools have come “from all across the country to discuss admission requirements and their programs,” Valera said.

Senior Lindsay Miller said she will go to the career fair if it works with her schedule. She said she has never been to the career fair before.

“I heard it is a really valuable opportunity for students,” Miller said.

Miller, who is applying to grad school, said she would like to explore the graduate schools that will be there and any sort of job opportunities that “jump out.”

The Fall Career Fair often has a large turnout. Valera said more than 3,000 students attend each year.

“Students should go to the fair to learn about the many types of opportunities available to them after graduation,” Valera said. “They should also go to network with employers.”

Valera also advises underclassmen to attend to learn about possible jobs after graduation.

“First Year Mentors will be available during the fair to give freshmen and interested sophomores a tour, speak to a few employers on ways to prepare for the fair and to get them comfortable with introducing them to employers during the fair,” Valera said.

To prepare for the fair, Valera advised students and alumni to have their resume reviewed and to bring multiple copies, practice their “elevator speech”, which is typically a 30 second speech where students should be able to summarize their work experience and why they are the best candidate for the job, and dress professionally.