The Career Fair

Only a few more days to get ready for the career fair.  

What does that mean to you?

I will tell you! 

Review the list of employers – available under “Events” on our website ((Wichita.edu/career/). Decide who you want to talk with. Research websites for each of those employers.   

Practice your 30 second introduction.  

Make sure you have several copies of your resume, critiqued and printed on bond paper, in your portfolio or brief case ready to go.

Press your very best professional outfit. Shine your shoes. Get your hair trimmed. Trim your nails.

Not sure what to wear? Check “Dress for Success” at “Job Seeker Resources” on our website.  

Last Minute Details 

Remove any chipped nail polish. Cover any tattoos. Remove any piercings other than one simple pair of earrings for women. Shower and shampoo. Brush your teeth.

Get excited.

The Career Fair is a great opportunity to get face to face with employers. Even if you talk with employers who don’t have current opportunities to hire, they can remember you for the future.

Remember: “You only get one chance to make a good impression.” This is one of those times.

See you at the Career Fair: Wednesday, Feb. 29, 2012 from 4 - 7pm in Koch Arena!

Career Fair Tomorrow!!!

With the Career Fair tomorrow, I want to remind you of a few things not to do.

1. Don’t dress like you are just going to be hanging out at home. First impressions are ‘oh, so important’.
2. Don’t approach an employer with the question “So. . .what do you do?” It’s your job to research each company you want to talk with before the Career Fair.
3. Do not—absolutely do not--say something rude to an employer such as “Why did you come to the Career Fair if you aren’t even hiring?” Anytime you can get in front of an employer, you have an amazing opportunity to make a positive impression. That same employer who is not hiring today might be hiring next month. Employers sometimes create jobs for candidates who wow them. I could go on and on about this. Bottom line = remember your manners.
4. Do not walk from table to table focusing on, and picking up, the giveaways. You are there to talk with employers and sell them on your qualifications and promise for their company. You do not do that by grabbing at stress balls, or pens, or water bottles. Get the picture?
5. Do not walk around the Career Fair with your friends. Meet those guys for a nice long talk after you leave the fair. Don’t be joined at the hip when you are meeting employers.
6. Do not bring your baby—no matter how cute—to the Career Fair. You are there to impress potential employers with your professionalism, not your parenting skills.
7. Do not talk on your cell phone while you are at an employer’s booth. This is rude. Again, remember your manners.
8. Don’t blow off the Career Fair because it’s a nice day outside, because you need to study, because you are tired – for any reason, other than something very serious—such as your death. This is an amazing opportunity to meet employers. Take advantage of it. See you tomorrow. 4:00-7:00pm Koch Arena.

~jan

Preparing for the Career Fair

Planning to attend the Career Fair next week? If your answer is “yes”, good for you! If your answer is “no”, I have to ask why not? Whether you are a freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, or grad student this event is more than worth the time you will invest. Anytime you can connect with an employer, go for it. Now. . .what you can do this week is prepare for the Career Fair. And, one of the ways to prepare is to research the employers you want to talk with.

We have made the research really easy for you. Go to our website (http://careers.wichita.edu), click on “Events” on the left side, and then click on “Employers who will be attending”. Scroll through the list, clicking on any and all of interest to you. That last click takes you to the employer’s website. Some of the things you want to find out include the company’s products or services, company growth for the past five years, future plans, the mission statement, names of managers, locations, corporate headquarters, their competition, and their history.

For even more information regarding what to do to make the Career Fair as valuable an experience as possible to you, go into your Hire A Shocker student account and access the Resource Library. It’s all there for you, from how to dress to how to prepare business cards.

See you next week--Thursday, April 7, 4 - 7pm, Koch Arena. Be there!

~jan

Are you ready for the Fall Career Fair? Come on. . .are you really ready?

Do you have lots (as in 30) copies of your recently critiqued resume printed on bond paper and ready to hand out? Do you also have lots of your business cards to hand out to employers who can't accept resumes? Have you researched the employers of interest to you and are you ready to offer your 30 second commercial to them?

Is your suit pressed and your shoes shined? Don't forget your shirt -- it needs to be pressed also.

Do you remember your manners? Employers paid a chunk of change to come to the Career Fair to meet you. Be sure and say thank you to them for coming and for taking time to talk with you. Remember, although some recruiters may not have immediate openings they will attend the career fair knowing their situation may change and they may have openings tomorrow -- or next week -- sometime in the future.

We'll see you Thursday at the Career Fair. We're looking forward to it. Hope you are too!

~jan

Oh. . .just in case you forgot to get your resume critiqued, we'll be doing walkins tomorrow and Wednesday morning.