JOB FAIR – WHY SHOULD I ATTEND?

FACULTY

 If you are faculty, attending the job fair offers a way for you to meet representatives of the companies who will be hiring your students. The potential results of those meetings are many, including making contacts that could lead to research endeavors, talking with company representatives you might want to invite into your class for presentations to your students. And, not to be forgotten, often the employer representative who attends a job fair will be a graduate of our institution which of course means, you just might get to talk with former students.

Job fairs are expensive for employers to attend. They keep a close eye on their results to determine which schools they will continue to recruit at. Therefore, we ask you to attend and strongly encourage your students to attend. A small amount of your time could yield large results for your current and future students. 

STUDENTS

If you are a student who is, or ever will be looking for a job, I cannot imagine why you wouldn’t attend the job fair—an event which allows you the rare opportunity to get face to face with a multitude of employers, within a short time period and in one location. If you’re a junior or senior it is crucial that you meet as many prospective employers as possible. Even as a freshman or sophomore, it is important to develop and build relationships with employers to enhance your possibility of getting the job you want when you graduate. Plus, a job fair gives you the chance to learn about the types of employment available within different industries and among various employers. 

 

Common Resume Mistakes

I see lots of resumes. And, lots of resume mistakes. Here are a few to watch out for.


Including personal information. Employers don’t want to see your photo, your date or place of birth, marital status or other information which could be used to discriminate against you.

Unprofessional email address. For example: littlebit1234@gmail.com

Spelling or punctuation errors.

Inconsistent formatting -- simple things such as not leaving the same amount of space between sections; bolding some section headings, but not all; using different font sizes and/or different font styles.

Misuse of capitalization.

Wordy objective. The employer wants to know what you can do to benefit him. He really doesn't care that you want a "challenging position offering you the opportunity to grow and advance".

Weak action words. For example, don't say "Helped design" if what you actually did was "Collaborated with three team members to design". "Helped" doesn't tell me what you did. Nor, does it give you credit for what you did.

Tailor your resume to the job. Point out how the skills and experience you have are "transferrable" (a good fit) for the job you are applying for. Include keywords from the job posting if they fit you. 


Remember -- in our office, we love resumes. Don't hesitate to ask us for a critique!