Employers’ Trending Move to Skills-Based Hiring Will Give 1,000+ WCU Students an Advantage at Upcoming Job & Internship Fair
Soon-to-Be College Grads are Ready to Hire in Today’s Job Market
Spring semester is officially on for college students, and that means the hunt is on for jobs following graduation and internships slated for the summer/fall. At a time when the job market is considered fair, WCU students remain in a favorable position for the Job & Internship Fair that will take place on Wednesday, February 25, from 12-4 p.m., in the Student Recreation Center, located at 275 North Campus Drive in West Chester. That’s because there has been a steady increase over the past year in employers turning more and more to skills-based hiring — 70% of employers are now using the approach. 1,000+ WCU students will get “extra credit” with employers for demonstrating examples of situations where they used problem-solving skills, tied their coursework and extracurricular activities to professional skills used while working during college, etc. The 130 employers in attendance at the fair will range from nonprofits to small, mid-size and large corporations. WCU’s Twardowski Career Development Center organizes WCU’s annual Job & Internship Fair.
There’s other good news; more college recruiting is happening in the spring. The fair will provide the landscape for productive student-employer engagement. By speaking one-on-one with employers, students’ goals will be to secure job and internship interviews for later dates. What will most likely land an interview?
“Some skills employers are looking for include problem-solving, teamwork, written communication, emotional intelligence, and a strong work ethic,” shares Jennifer Rossi Long, career expert and executive director of WCU’s Twardowski Career Development Center.
Reflecting on today’s job market for entry-level positions, Rossi doesn’t think that AI is the boogeyman. “AI can assist an employer, but it can’t solve a problem ethically. AI is not a team player. AI does not take initiative. These are all inherently human attributes, and they are a great benefit to our students because they gain these skills inside and outside of the classroom. Also, these are skills that don’t point to specific industries; they amplify to all areas of the workforce.”
Career-readiness is central at WCU and it doesn’t wait for the Job & Internship Fair to take place. Much is currently being done in advance by those at WCU’s Twardowski Career Development Center to help students become comfortable with the process of interviewing, including providing a Career Closet that features free professional clothing for the big day. Another popular feature is the use of “Big Interview,” where students can do a mock interview on their own by recording an interview and playing it back to hear what they said, how they said it, as well as watch their non-verbal gestures.
Some WCU professors are even incorporating “Big Interview” in their classrooms by choosing sets of questions specific to their subject areas. “This tool is proving to be a great way to integrate career-readiness in the classroom,” says Rossi Long. “The platform puts the power of the interview in the hands of the student whenever the student needs to access it the most.”
The fair is as supportive as it is intentional. The following are just some of the
many innovative features that will be helping students feel their most confident when
connecting with employers on Wednesday, February 25:
- Ear plugs to help with those who have sensitivities to noise
- Dedicated quiet spaces for those who need to regroup or take a break from the fair’s energy
- Alumni volunteers who will offer encouraging words to students and check-in to see if they have questions or need support (i.e., practice a handshake, practice their pitch, find an employer)
Learn more about the Career Center
Students may view a list of employers attending by logging into Handshake.
