EOC changes to address crowds, cater to younger students

The Employment Opportunities Conference (EOC), a job fair hosted by the Career and Professional Development Center (CPDC) each semester at Carnegie Mellon University, is an essential step in the job search process for most students on campus.

This year’s spring EOC, which will be held in the Cohon Center in Wiegand Gymnasium on Tuesday Feb. 9 and Wednesday Feb. 10 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., will include two notable changes — the day will be split between internship and full-time opportunities, which was successfully implemented in the fall. First and second-year students will be able to attend JumpStart, a program intended to promote connections between recruiters and younger students.

The first of these changes, splitting the EOC into two sessions, is meant to aid both students and employers by making the event more efficient, even with such a large number of students and employers attending.

The first session, focusing on internship opportunities, will run from 10 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., while the second session, focusing on full-time opportunities, will be from 2 p.m. to 4:45 p.m. If students have class conflicts during these times, they are allowed to attend either session.

“The EOC is a very popular event, and we wanted to limit overcrowding by creating two sessions. We did this in the fall as well, and it improved traffic flow,” said Judith Mancuso, the assistant director for recruiting at the CPDC.

Mancuso also noted that this structure will benefit both students and employers in more ways than just crowd management. “Students benefit from less crowding and having employers who are prepared to talk about what they are coming to the EOC seeking,” Mancuso said. “Employers also appreciate this because it allows them to have representatives on hand who can speak to a particular audience.”

The second major change from previous years is the new JumpStart program, which aims to benefit younger students. Through this program, first and second year students will be able to attend an event in Rangos Ballroom on Feb. 8, the evening before the EOC, from 5 to 7:30 p.m. The event will be a networking and internship fair designed specifically for first and second years. Students may register for the event in advance on TartanTRAK, although preregistration is not required.
Mancuso identified several benefits that they hope will come from the JumpStart program, including increased interaction between recruiters and young talent.

“Jumpstart will provide a more relaxed environment for students who are attending a career event for the first time,” Mancuso said. “We wanted to provide an event for first and second year students, who may have never attended a career event, to begin interacting with employers and … to give employers an opportunity to engage with students earlier in their academic careers.”

Mancuso also noted that the JumpStart program will allow students and employers foster relationships for the future.
“JumpStart will help employers brand their organizations and identify and build future talent pipelines,” Mancuso said. “It will also help students learn about employers, internship programs, and desired professional skill sets.”

As always, the CPDC has a variety of resources to help students prepare for the EOC. CPDC drop-in hours are Monday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Drop-in hours allow students to meet for 15 minutes with a career counselor in the CPDC Advising Center, located on the second floor of West Wing.

The CPDC is also holding a résumé blitz in the CPDC Advising Center on Feb. 8 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. This program allows students to meet with a career counselor for 15 minutes to review a hard copy of their résumé or to practice their elevator pitch.

No appointment is necessary for either event. The CPDC YouTube channel also has two short videos to help prepare students for the fair.