Representatives from nearly 380 companies converged on the Pennsylvania College of Technology campus at the start of the month, offering a plethora of jobs and internships during the Fall Career Fair.
A record number of Penn College students took advantage of the robust attendance. More than 2,080 students — from the schools of Engineering Technologies, Nursing & Health Sciences and Business, Arts & Sciences — interacted with employers ranging from regional companies to global corporations in the college’s Field House and Bardo Gymnasium.
“The strong turnout at the Career Fair reflects both the strength of our employer partnerships and the value of an applied technology education at Penn College,” said Shelley L. Moore, senior director of the Center for Career Design. “Employers know the value of a Penn College education, and our 98% placement rate reflects how well our students are prepared to step into meaningful careers.”
Participating companies offered about 2,680 full-time positions, over 1,500 internships and a slew of part-time opportunities.
“I’m always energized by the Career Fair,” said Stacey L. Girven, career events manager. “It’s inspiring to watch students and employers connect so meaningfully, and the level of engagement this fall shows just how valuable these opportunities are to everyone involved.”
“There are so many benefits from the Career Fair,” agreed Bryce W. Derr, an architecture & sustainable design sophomore from Bloomsburg, who was seeking an internship. “It’s important to test your social skills, to network and to meet new people. I try to make the most of it.”
So does junior Mason P. Orner, an automation engineering technology student from Sunbury.
“I’m starting to put more emphasis on getting an internship now,” he said. “I made out alright at the Field House yesterday. I talked to a few companies, and I’m expecting some emails to be sent out by the end of the week with some opportunities.”
Students in programs related to construction management, manufacturing, electrical, welding, electronics and automation engineering were in particularly high demand.
Sophomore construction management student Curtis J. Fuoss, of Montgomery, obtained an internship working at a data center in Washington, D.C., at one of last year’s Career Fairs. He already has another internship lined up for next summer with Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. The Penn College Corporate Tomorrow Maker provides construction management, general contracting, design-build and integrated project delivery services.
“The Career Fairs are awesome. It’s amazing to see how much they put toward it and how much it can offer to students,” Fuoss said.
His construction management classmate, Isabella C. Kerlin, of Pottstown, completed an internship with Whiting-Turner Contracting Co. last summer. After visiting about a dozen booths at this fall’s Career Fair, she was 99% sure that she has another internship secured for next summer, although she declined to name the company.
“Freshman year, it was really scary coming into the Career Fair because it’s all so new. But this year, I’m much more confident because I know what to expect,” she said.
From the employer perspective, Judy Tierney knows what to expect from Penn College students. The senior corporate recruiter has been representing Victaulic at the Career Fair for about 15 years. A Corporate Tomorrow Maker and member of the Heritage Society ($50,000-$99,999) on the college’s Donor Wall, Victaulic is a global leader in mechanical pipe joining solutions.
“This school for us is a gold mine,” Tierney said. “We have an engineering department that has nine team members who are graduates of this school. The curriculum is wonderful. Penn College is more hands on. It’s a very different type of student who graduates from here versus other schools. Penn College students integrate well to what we’re looking for in different pockets of our company.”
Like Tierney, Clark McHenry, director of human resources for R-V Industries Inc., was at the Career Fair recruiting for both internships and full-time positions. R-V Industries, a Corporate Tomorrow Maker, is a diversified engineering, design and manufacturing company.
“Right now, we have about 18 employees who all came from Penn College, everyone from a sales manager who oversees $50 million worth of revenue to quality inspectors, welding engineers, welding robot operators and welders,” he said. “For us, Penn College students represent who we are. You have to have theory, and you have to be able to apply that theory. And Penn College is better than anybody at that.”
Kyle Robb joined McHenry in the R-V Industries booth. A welding engineer manager at the company, Robb was one of 225 alumni to return to campus to recruit for employers.
“It’s good to meet the students who are going through the program now to see how they like it and trying to get them involved with R-V Industries,” said Robb, who earned a bachelor’s degree in welding & fabrication engineering technology in 2021. “I can relate to the classes they’re going through. Earlier today, I was talking to a young lady in the two-year welding program who is trying to decide whether to go for the four-year degree. I told her the four-year degree brings a lot of opportunity in the future.”
Robb first met with R-V Industries as a student at the Career Fair and started working part time for them during school breaks.
Faith E. Murray, of Dillsburg, has followed a similar path with a different company. The junior building automation engineering technology student connected with Tri-M Group LLC at last spring’s Career Fair for an internship and now works part time for the Corporate Tomorrow Maker. Tri-M Group provides electrical construction, high-voltage solutions, building automation, network infrastructure and security services.
“It’s been a great overall work experience,” Murray said. “They made sure there was always someone with me, and I was able to see many different areas – high voltage, low voltage and building automation. The connections made at the Career Fair are great.”
The Fall Career Fair was the first for Bill Schelling, a refrigeration technician recruiting for Walmart Facility Services, which maintains and repairs stores and distribution/fulfillment centers. But he knew all about Penn College, thanks to the three alums working for the company.
“You guys put out the best of the best,” he said. “You also hire teachers who were out in the field. They don’t teach just by the book. They use real-life situations. It’s hands on.”
Melissa Leota, a talent acquisition partner for Corporate Tomorrow Maker Penn State Health, also expressed appreciation for the real-world skills of Penn College students. She was recruiting a variety of students — from nursing to radiography to information technology — for the integrated academic health system.
“They’re coming out really skilled. They have the skills we look for in students coming right out of college, especially the medical professions,” she said. “Of course, they need some training, but they’re coming out ready to go, ready to get into that setting. They’re asking the right questions. They know the resources and tools to use. They are very prepared.”
Twenty-seven employers remained on campus following the Career Fair to conduct over 250 interviews.
“The Career Fair is such a powerful exchange,” Girven said. “Students gain direct access to career pathways while employers connect with future leaders in their fields. I’m so pleased to see such strong engagements from both sides this fall.”
The next career fair will be March 3.