Mercyhurst University will be hosting its 20th annual Career Fair on Thursday, March 29, from noon to 4 p.m. in the Mercyhurst Athletic Center (MAC).

The Career Development Center will run the event. This is only the second time it is being held in the spring; usually it is held in the fall.

There are currently 63 companies and organizations slated to attend. Students can monitor the attendees online through the Career Center on the Mercyhurst Portal, which will be updated twice a week leading up to the event.

Among those currently on the list are Cleveland Marriot East, Erie Country Office of Children and Youth, UPMC, U.S. Army Intelligence & Security Command/INSCOM and WICU-TV 12.

All years and all majors, even undecided, are encouraged to attend. While no exact statistics have been recorded, feedback from previous attendees has been positive, rating the event successful.

Executive Director of Experimental Learning Kyle Foust, Ph.D., said, “Especially in the last two years, we’ve had a goal of bringing back alumni to these events to represent their employers. Networking is very important for finding a job, and students having similar associations with these Mercyhurst alumni can be very beneficial.”

In fact, 37 percent of the companies attending the event have a Mercyhurst graduate representing them at the fair, and 30 percent of the total number of recruiters at the event are former Mercyhurst students.

Student reactions to this event have been positive.

Sophomore Emily Mashuda said, “I am definitely planning on going to the Career Fair. It is a wonderful opportunity for the students to make business connections that will be beneficial for the future, and I think everyone should go if they have the chance.”

Junior Will Dula agreed, although he won’t be attending.

“I do think it’s a great idea for other majors to use because it could be very helpful,” he said.

Junior Kaylyn Stack said, “I will probably attend the Career Fair. Honestly, it would be more beneficial to me to see more opportunities in education present. But all in all, I think Mercyhurst’s fair offers an awesome opportunity to start stepping out into the real world for many majors.”

Those students who wish to attend the Career Fair should dress in professional attire, bring copies of their resume and/or business card and have a 30-second elevator speech prepared.

For more information, email Foust at kfoust@mercyhurst.edu.