CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — For the second consecutive year, students and professionals interested in health and human services careers found a wealth of information and resources at the 2024 Health and Human Services Job Fair at Penn State Lehigh Valley (PSU-LV) on April 11. The event was co-sponsored by Penn State Lehigh Valley, Magellan Healthcare, Lehigh and Northampton Counties.
Over 100 students from Penn State Lehigh Valley and its neighboring universities connected with representatives from 35 local providers and sharpened various skills through workshops and breakout sessions. Teri Kistler, rehabilitation and human services lecturer and program coordinator at PSU-LV, said providers were hiring for a wide range of openings.
“It was a health and human services job fair, but students and job seekers in all majors with different experience found out about new opportunities,” said Kistler. “Even those with backgrounds in business, IT, finance, communications, or psychology found it helpful to attend and see what’s available at our local and regional employers who had openings at all levels of experience.”
The sessions reinforced many of the conversations attendees had with company reps.
“The sessions really helped attendees prepare for that interview,” Kistler said. “There was a lot of energy around the job fair, with students being prepared. They were ready to talk to prospective employers at the event. We had several providers saying they made excellent connections and gained some prospective new employees.”
Session topics included:
- “How to Make Appropriate Connections with Hiring Managers”
- “Identify Your Career Signal” with HIF Logic presented by Kathleen Houlihan from Dream2Career
- Resume/Salary/Interview Negotiation Tips
- Online presence best practices
The panel discussion, moderated by Kermit Burley, program coordinator for IT and cyber analytics at PSU-LV, was “very robust,” Kistler said, with students asking thought-provoking questions and panelists sharing honest and practical suggestions. Houlihan’s workshop was particularly valuable, focusing on students boosting their confidence as they set out on their career path.
“People were really engaged and got a lot out of her presentation,” Kistler said. “It was a great collaboration between Penn State Lehigh Valley, Magellan Health Care, and local providers. We hope to continue to provide this opportunity.”