UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — A record 78 companies participated in this year’s Pro Expo, one of two annual career fairs hosted by the College of Information Sciences and Technology. More than 900 students seeking internships and full-time employment attended the event on Sept. 10 at the Nittany Lion Inn.
“We are thrilled to have a record number of recruiters this year who are interested in hiring students and graduates of the College of IST,” said Brianne Lippert, assistant director of corporate engagement in the college. “It shows that the curriculum, experiences and education within the college are arming students with the in-demand skills and training that the industry needs, and preparing them for fulfilling careers and internships.”
The recruiters represented companies from a wide range of industries, including major consulting firms, retailers, insurance companies, armed services, and government agencies. They were seeking students whose College of IST education and skillsets could help impact the future of their technology.
“Penn State has majors that a lot of schools don’t offer, and we live in a world where technology is growing and the need for technology is growing,” said Nicholas Delibero, a recruiter for EY who graduated from the College of IST in 2017. “[Penn State hires] show up ready to work. They get a lot of project experience through IST, which is great for the real world.”
“This career fair is a big draw because we are always looking for strong IST students,” added Liz Verrecchia, a recruiter from Deloitte. “We think that they demonstrate a lot of the leadership and work experience, through their internships and class projects. Those are things that we’re really looking for when we hire.”
Sydney Foster, a junior majoring in security and risk analysis and information sciences and technology, emphasized the importance of having — and being able to talk about — solid work experience.
“Knowing your resume is really important, as is having a good resume with a lot of project experience,” she said. “And being able to expand on that when [recruiters] ask you about it, because they will ask you.”
Many students came to Pro Expo for the chance to network with recruiters and to strengthen soft skills that they can apply in future career fairs and job opportunities.
“I’ve been working to build communication skills,” said Samuel Gross, a junior majoring in cybersecurity analytics and operations. “You talk to a lot of companies here at Pro Expo and learn a lot about them. That helps you to warm up for interviews with these companies in the future.”