While the current state of the economy has many students worrying about their post-graduation plans, some education majors and recruiters at a job fair Monday advocated taking less traditional approaches to the job field.

Held in the Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel, the Education Career Day event served as a medium for students to interact with potential employers from 88 school districts.

Amanda Banik (senior-elementary education), who attended the career fair, pointed out the importance of remaining open to jobs that may not be ideal for most students.

"I'm here to look at inner-city schools," Banik said. "They're looking for dedicated teachers. I'm in it to help, so I don't really care where I end up. I feel like I'm secure because I'm open."

Graduates of the College of Education have a positive reputation among many school districts, said Jacqueline Edmondson, associate dean for Teacher Education and Undergraduate Programs.

"Penn State students are recruited from all over the country and all over the world," she said. "We hear really good responses from districts recruiting our teachers."

Lori Lillis, director of human resources for Wilson School District in West Lawn, agreed with Edmondson's assessment of Penn State education majors.

"We did extremely well hiring Penn State grads last year," Lillis said. "The best way for us to hire teachers is through the job fairs."

Some school district representatives were less positive regarding the job outlook for future teachers.

"It's going to be tough," said Susan Frank, supervisor of instruction for Caroline County Public Schools in Denton, Md. "Honestly, I feel bad for people looking for jobs right now."

However, specialization or technical focus could prove useful to current job seekers, she added.

"If you are math, science or special ed. and you have an interview here today, you have a really good chance," Frank said. "I've been pleased that there are more math people here."