West Chester University held its Spring Career Fair Wed. March 18th from 12-4 p.m. in the Sykes Student Union Ballrooms.The ballrooms were alive with the clamor of business propositions, resumes, and references as the career fair was in full swing with prospective employees scanning their options for upcoming career choices. Prospective employers packed into tight rows armed with posters describing their business/organization, patiently awaiting anyone interested.
The West Chester Career Fair was open to all students of WCU from freshmen to seniors and all majors who were looking to springboard their education and enter into the corporate arena now, in the near future, or in a few years. Employers present were looking to fill full-time, part-time, internship or summer positions. Held every semester, the fair offers a wide-range of career opportunities to choose from.
Seventy-two companies were present at this semester’s fair with specialties ranging from banks, to chains, to summer camp counselors. Among companies present were Wawa, the Peace Corps, Bethlehem Police Department, AFAC Mid Atlantic, TD Bank, and UPS.
Recruiters set up booths, handed out brochures, and put out free gifts in an effort to draw the student’s attention. Some offered pens, candy, but all were eager to speak to the bright young minds of potential employees of their respective companies.
Carol Sexton, a recruiter from Weinken Associates, a company that handles financial planning, said that she was very excited to be there. Sexton was also part of the fair in the fall and noted that it seemed as if there were more people present at the previous gathering. However, the ballrooms of Sykes were teeming with students and alumni making the best of the opportunity.
Students who were handing out resumes were asked to dress in business attire, and to come prepared with more than a few copies of their resumes. More than a few suit-clad students showed up and did just that, as others just looking around admired the wide range of options offered by the companies/organizations.
“It was set up so nice. Everything was so accessible,” Bonnie Clossey said, “I just came to see what it was like and I can say that I will definitely be back next semester.”
Anyone interested is invited to attend the fair next fall semester and to take advantage of this opportunity to jumpstart their post-collegiate careers, or to simply find something temporary.
For those planning to attend in the future, the fair’s website provides a searchable list of employers who will be in attendance as they sign up for the event. You can narrow your search by job type or job target.
“It is a great way to know who is going to be there and what to expect before you attend,” Clossey said.
Jenna Shepanski is a fourth-year student majoring in English and minoring in Journalism. She can be reached at JS618186@wcupa.edu