Career fair draws flock of job-hungry students

Seniors and underclassmen alike, trying to make some sense of the frantic process that job and internship searches can entail, made their way to the Sheraton University City for Career Link '99 yesterday. More than 1,200 students turned out for the first general career fair that the University has sponsored to meet employers from over 125 companies. Recruiters were accepting resumes and offering information for positions in fields ranging from consulting and marketing to investment banking and financial services. Barbara Hewitt, a counselor at Career Services and chief organizer of the fair, explained that many employers had expressed interest in a fall career fair that would precede resume-drop time. In addition, Career Services was looking for a way to involve underclassmen in early career opportunities. The mutual needs led to Career Link '99, an event geared towards students in all undergraduate schools of the University who are looking for summer internships and seniors searching for jobs following graduation. "It's a great way for students to distribute a lot of resumes in a variety of fields," Hewitt said. "This is a business fair, but not just for Wharton students." American Express representative Shawn Kalinoski was one of several employers eager to meet Penn students. "It's a tight economy," he said. "We are looking for the very best students we can find." During the fair, students strolled through the ballroom area below the hotel lobby, stopping at the booths of companies that interested them, picking up information and, in many cases, free giveaways like footballs and mugs. Students had mixed reviews about the success and relevance of the fair. Although Associate Career Services Director Peggy Curchack stressed that this was an opportunity for students of all years, many felt that it was still focused too much towards juniors and seniors. But companies were quick to say that they were looking for all types of students. A Putnam Investments recruiter, for instance, said that they were looking for "anyone with an open mind." Despite those assurances, many students felt differently. A College junior majoring in English said the fair, with its preponderance of business-oriented firms, was "still geared too much towards Wharton School students. There is only one booth for me even to go to." Other non-Wharton students, however, saw things differently. College seniors Dan Goldman and Jason Miller saw ample opportunity to find companies that fit their interests. Miller said that while Wharton generally brings in more companies, the recruiters "are still looking for liberal arts backgrounds and not just Wharton students." According to Hewitt, the perception of Wharton favoritism is purely a result of the system. This is because banks and consulting firms have a more structured idea of how many positions and spaces are available in their companies, while other types of organizations -- such as think tanks, government agencies and newspapers -- aren't able to predict as far in advance. For that reason, Career Services will hold an online career fair in the spring with a wider variety of options. Many students felt that Career Link '99 was a step in the right direction, even if others believe the University has not completely succeeded in gearing opportunities towards nursing and college students. Whether or not other students felt that the fair was biased in some way, most agreed that it was a helpful initiation into the business world. At the very least, as one Wharton senior commented, "it's the best way to get free stress balls."