Employment Guide: Pitt anticipates competitive spring career fair

Pitt’s Spring 2010 Career Fair expects about 150 employers and a lot of competition.

… Pitt’s Spring 2010 Career Fair expects about 150 employers and a lot of competition.

“While the economy is certainly making it more difficult to add jobs, we are going to have multiple positions to fill at Pitt’s career fair this year — at least one or two,” Doug Colafella said. Colafella is the manager of external communications for Allegheny Energy, a utility company providing electricity to more than 1.5 million people across Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland.

His company represents one of about 150 employers expected to be at next week’s career fair, which will be held Feb. 10 and 11 on the first floor of the William Pitt Union from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Allegheny Energy will be looking primarily for electrical engineers, Colafella said.

“We like to come to Pitt every spring and offer talented students an opportunity to succeed in the energy business,” he said. “We have established a solid relationship with Pitt through the career fair program, and we plan to continue to work closely with Pitt students.”

The first day of this year’s career fair will feature Colafella’s company, as well as other employers in the technical sector — including engineering, computer and information science fields. The next day will focus on non-technical work like business, arts and health sciences.

The Office of Student Employment and Placement Assistance organizes the fair and is encouraging students to pre-register for the semi-annual event on my.pitt.edu. Students who sign up early will receive an advanced copy of the directory, which includes information about the fair and attending employers.

Monica Varela, special events and marketing coordinator for the office, said students who plan to attend the career fair should research the companies they are interested in working for and prepare questions to ask the company representatives.

“Asking informed, educated questions demonstrates initiative to a prospective employer,” Varela said. “Most of the employers attending the fair are looking to hire now, and others will be recruiting for positions that they anticipate opening up at a later date. Networking will be a key part of getting hired.”

Varela advised students who are looking to improve their networking skills to participate in this week’s Career Kickoff, a three-day event being held Tuesday through Thursday in various locations across campus.

The Career Kickoff will feature resumé workshops and information sessions providing networking tips from local employers. More information about these events is available on the SEPA website, Varela said.

New at this year’s fair will be a mini-networking exhibition for students majoring in creative fields, she said. Interested students can discuss industry trends with professionals and discuss how to “make it” in these competitive fields.

But students attending the career fair should not just be looking for jobs, said Trisha Ross, program relations coordinator at the Regional Internship Center of Southwestern Pennsylvania.

The Regional Internship Center brokers connections between internship seekers and employers throughout the region and will attend the fair. Ross said that more than 90 percent of the interns her organization works with are Pitt students, many of whom connect with the center during career fairs.

“Of course, at a career fair most students are only thinking about landing a job, but internships are becoming almost a necessary step in securing any long-term employment,” Ross said. “If you secure an internship you can tell prospective employers that you have more real-world experience than flipping burgers or cutting grass.”

She also gave advice about networking.

“Students should avoid cruising around a job fair with a group of friends,” she said. “Approaching tables individually shows a level of maturity and ability.”

“It may be obvious, but one of the most important steps a prospective employee can take is to dress appropriately,” she said. “At every career fair we go to, we always see a few students who aren’t dressed appropriately. They don’t really stand a chance of making any valuable contacts.”

Ross also stressed the importance of a presenting a strong resumé, which includes both a telephone number and an e-mail address.

“Many students think that by only putting their cell phone number on a resumé they will actually get to talk to a prospective employer,” she said. “But without an e-mail address, a resumé is incomplete, and it will go straight in the garbage.”