October 1st Career Fair

On October 1st Robert Morris University's Career Center held their annual fall career expo in the Sewell Center arena. Employers including ADP, US Steel, UPMC, Highmark, Bayer Material Science, and 96 other employers from the Pittsburgh area converged on the arena to see what current students and Robert Morris alumni had to offer. Students from varying educational concentrations lined up at the door dressed to the nines with resumes in hand to try and gain an advantage over one another.
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, Pittsburgh has a 7.5% unemployment rate so trying to get your foot in the door with a company can be a rigorous task. The PPG Career and Development Center here at Robert Morris University tries to make less job hunting less daunting with numerous events throughout the academic year. The career expos the Career Center organizes with help from industrial partners helps students and alumni alike get their faces and names out there. According to the Career Center the main purposes behind the career expo are for students to:

• Establish contacts. 
• Explore career fields and learn about part-time, full-time, cooperative education (co-op) and/or internship opportunities. 
• Gather employer information. 
• Make a favorable impression with employer representatives and possibly set up a follow-up interview for positions that interest you. 
• Practice your interviewing techniques. Take advantage of the large number of employers available at a fair to hone your interviewing skills. 

First impressions count, and people do judge books by their covers so it is of vital importance that if you attend a career fair you dress to impress. Along with wearing the appropriate business attire the Career Center also suggests that you have a well-polished look that entails the following:

• Neat, well-groomed hair.
• Cleanliness (no body odor).
• Fresh breath.
• Genuine smile.
• Good body posture.
• Clean, trimmed fingernails.
• Little or no cologne/perfume.
• Pressed clothes and polished shoes.
• No candy or gum; no cigarettes.
• No visible body art.

If you feel underprepared for a career fair, or you do not know how to effectively put together a resume, please contact the Career Center or you can look at the links they have provided on their website. They are an awesome resource to utilize to help students and alumni alike get their post-academic life started.

Post written by Ian Munroe