Even though fall semester is only halfway over, many students are thinking about their lives beyond Portland State. To help assist the transition into new careers, the Career Center is conducting its 10th annual Nonprofit and Social Services Fair tomorrow.
The fair is a collaboration between the PSU Career Center, the PSU institute for Nonprofit Management and idealist.org.
It will host 56 organizations representing a wide range of interests, including human services, sustainability, education and the arts. This type of opportunity can be very effective for students who may not be sure what they want to do when they leave college, according to Greg Flore, director of the Career Center.
“The fair offers students the opportunity to network with a large number of organizations at one time,” Flores said. “They can apply for jobs, find internships or learn about ways to volunteer to support a cause they care about. Students who are trying to decide on a career direction can get firsthand information that can help guide their academic choices and help them find relevant experience.”
Students can attend the Career Fair to seek jobs or just to find out about the hiring process and what qualifications employers seek.
The tough economic climate has seen a higher demand for nonprofit and social services, and while many of the companies are working with reduced budgets, this doesn’t reduce the overall experience.
“Students have the opportunity to help other people by volunteering, while at the same time gaining valuable experience that will help them be more competitive in their job search,” Flores said. “The fair helps facilitate those connections, benefiting both the students and the organizations.”
Two panel seminars will be conducted at the fair. The initial panel will be “From Volunteer to Employee: How to maximize your volunteer and internship experience,” and will feature panelists who have successfully translated their volunteer experiences into a paying career in the nonprofit world. The second panel will be “Careers and Sustainability,” in which speakers will discuss what a sustainability career is and how to pursue one. Panelists will offer insights from their experience and take questions from the audience.
“The goal of the panel is for students to hear professionals in the field talk about their careers and career paths so that students can learn more about the day-to-day activities of an occupation, as well as the missions of the various organizations,” said Mary Vance, a Career Center counselor.
Volunteers who have worked for nonprofits will conduct the panels, including Stephanie Stolk, who started the Pangea Project.
“She’ll be able to help students understand how to create and run a nonprofit,” Vance said.
Sustainability is an area that the Career Fair is focusing on as well. Experts who work with school districts to better integrate sustainability, municipal leaders who work for sustainability in Portland and a Human Resources
representative who works for an energy conservation-consulting firm will also be present.
“Students often have a difficult time knowing what careers to pursue because they lack information about what careers exist and the nuts and bolts information about how to prepare for a career,” Vance said. “By hearing from professionals currently working, students can get their questions answered about what steps to take to prepare for a career when they graduate.”
According to Flores, gaining experience is beneficial in whatever career field a
student chooses.
“All students should consider checking out the fair,” Flores said. “Even if you are convinced that you do not want to work in the nonprofit world, or that you do not have the time to volunteer, you will be surprised by the variety of opportunities presented at the fair and might just find an unexpected-yet-perfect fit for your interests and goals.”
The fair will be held on Wednesday Nov. 3 from 11 to 3 p.m. in the Smith Memorial Student Union Ballroom. The first panel presentations will begin at noon in SMSU room 327. ?