Thirty four MBA students at Penn State University’s Smeal College of Business had the opportunity to attend the largest career fair in the country at the annual exposition and conference of the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) in Houston. The Smeal College of Business and Penn State University both contributed money to support student attendance at the event. More than one hundred businesses attended the fair to meet MBA students or conduct interviews. Some companies even hired students on-site. The Smeal MBA students had the opportunity to interview with Unilever, Hewlett-Packard, Target, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Chrysler, Eli Lilly, Darden Restaurants, the William Wrigley Jr. Company, and General Electric.
The students had the opportunity to prepare for the conference by working with the directors of Penn State Smeal’s Career Services: Mike Brown and Emily Giacomini. The directors helped students prepare cover letters and resumes to hand out at the event, and gave students feedback in mock interviews. Brown and Giacomini try to prepare all students for events throughout the year. Assistant Dean for Diversity Enhancement Programs Jamie Campbell and Director of MBA Employer Relations Paul Poissant accompanied students to the conference to help students and interface with alumni and employers at the event as representatives of Smeal.
While at the conference, three Smeal MBAs also got the chance to participate in NBMBAA’s case competition, which is sponsored by Chrysler Group LLC. The Smeal team made the semifinals of the competition.
The MBA students also attended a networking event in Houston to connect with alumni of Penn State Smeal in the area. Over twenty alumni participated in the event.
