Looking past the nation's economic uncertainty and growing unemployment, nearly 10,000 Penn State students from across the state are expected to descend upon the Bryce Jordan Center this week for the university's annual Fall Career Days 2002.

Co-sponsored by Penn State Career Services and the university's 10 academic colleges and schools, the fair is a collection of more than 500 national and state companies seeking students for internships, cooperative education programs or full-time employment, Career Services Director Jack Rayman said. The event started Tuesday morning and will continue through tomorrow.

Though ripe with companies, Rayman cautioned that the career fair wouldn't necessarily provide students with immediate employment. The misconception, he said, arises from "very unrealistic" expectations some students have regarding the fair's purpose.

"It's a career fair, not a job fair," Rayman said. "We're dealing with a lot of people who haven't been in the job world. Students shouldn't expect to get jobs right off the bat."

During the four-day event, the Jordan Center's concourse and mezzanine levels are transformed into a labyrinth of informational booths from such companies as General Mills and Boeing. At each booth, business representatives provide interested passersby with brochures, packets and -- in some cases -- free candy.

Also, with the struggling national economy, the prospects of graduating students finding jobs directly out of college remain uncertain, said David Schlow, lecturer of economics.

"The workforce could expand, but the number of jobs available may not match the workforce growth," he said.

Rayman said the "soft" economy has resulted in a predictable drop in the number of companies participating in the fair this year. However, the economic situation may aid potential employers, he added.

"It's going to be a great year for some of these companies because the market is tight and there's a large supply of qualified candidates," he said.

Students should not be discouraged from attending the fair, Rayman said.

He said students are continually encouraged to mingle around the booths and speak with recruiters from the various companies. This way, he said, students can create a vast networking system to aid future employment searches.

"The fair is intended to allow students to look at long-range career opportunities, to begin the networking process," he said. "If people wanted to make contacts, this is incredible ... They get direct, personal contact, and they can put their credentials directly in the employers' hands."

Students of all class standings -- not just graduating seniors -- are encouraged to attend, Rayman added.

Steve Krum (senior-business logistics) was among those students who ventured to the center this week.

"I threw the résumé around as well as I could," he said. "It's all about interaction with employers, handing out the résumé."

Krum, a veteran of three career fairs, said those new to the recruiting process might find the overall practice daunting at first. He said approaching company recruiters from such stalwarts as Johnson & Johnson can be intimidating, even if you have experience.

"Overwhelmed is almost the word to describe it," he said.

For Sarah Mozjesik (senior-management), this week marked the first time she has attended a career fair. After circulating her résumé Tuesday, she was called in for an interview yesterday morning, where she said she didn't feel nervous at all.

"I didn't really want the job," she said. "It was more for practice."