“Finding a job with us is a serious thing,” Mark Matusheski of Service King Collision Repair said, offering one reason why he’s looking forward to representing his company again at the Technical College High School’s Second Annual Career and Training Fair at the Brandywine Campus on March 1.

More than 70 local employers will be participating in the event, which brings TCHS students and industry partners together for a series of interviews, professional portfolio reviews, and networking opportunities. The Fair is co-sponsored by the Western Chester County Chamber of Commerce, and will receive event support from community partners Brandywine Valley Heating & Air Conditioning, Relative Care, and 3D Bodyworks.

As the Northeast Regional Recruiter for Service King, Matusheski has employed graduates of TCHS in the past, and is returning this year with some positions to fill.

“What I took away from it was that it was a really good thing, and I’m happy to be a part of it again this year,” he said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to hire a senior coming out of school.”

What sets the TCHS event apart from many other career fairs is the opportunity for employers to make a meaningful connection with students through one-on-one interviews. Additionally, employers provide feedback on interviewees’ strengths and areas needing improvement that are observed during the interview, using a grading form that is returned to the school.

Last year, nearly 700 interviews were conducted with approximately 300 students, mainly seniors, and with more than 40 employers who had positions to fill. A number of students walked away from the event with a job offer.

“I had a lot of time to speak to the students,” said Matusheski, “and a lot of them came prepared. It was a great overall event, and I highly recommend it.”

While he sees the event as a valuable recruiting tool for employers, Matusheski knows students benefit from the experience as well, and not just those who come away with job offers.

Advertisement

“It kind of lets these students know what to expect post-graduation, when they’re trying to get out into the workforce,” he said. “I definitely think it will prepare them for the overall job interview process.”

Matusheski also came away impressed by the TCHS students’ high level of professionalism, given that you don’t typically see that level of professionalism from students still in high school.

It’s the interview process, specifically, that convinced Derek Miller of PITT OHIO to represent his company at the fair this year for the first time. The Recruitment Specialist for the freight-hauling transportation company has been to other schools to promote a new apprentice program, but has never attended one with this level of student-employer interaction.

“We’ve been to other job fairs at different schools, but this one was kind of unique when I was reading about how it works,” he said.

Previous job fairs only afforded Miller the chance to distribute pamphlets while students walked from table to table, allowing for little to no interaction.

“This will be the first time at a job fair where I’ll actually be conducting interviews,” he said. “I think it’s going to be an all-around great return on investment for those at the school and the companies to be able to interview interested students, and also to let the students know what they need to work on.

“It gets them to know who we are, and we get to know who they are, so when they get closer to graduation we’ve already got a face to a name.”

Miller speaks to the goal of the Career and Training Fair and for all the employers who plan to participate.

“We have open positons and want to do our best to find great candidates in these schools who can really work toward a career,” he said.