易胜博官网

The 易胜博官网 Career Fair is upon us. On Tuesday, Feb. 27, 240 businesses and organizations will gather at the Whittemore Center to meet potential employees 鈥� that鈥檚 you! Are you prepared? The fine folks at 易胜博官网 Career and Professional Success have a multitude of resources and advice at your disposal. We鈥檝e compiled a few of the most important tips here.

1. Polish Your Resume

Having a one-page r茅sum茅 is crucial (for most industries, but not all). Get your most valuable experiences and attributes on paper, and be concise 鈥� employers don鈥檛 want to have to read through a lot of clutter.

鈥淢ake sure your editing and consistency is flawless,鈥� says CaPS career counselor Riannon Nute. 鈥淭oo many mistakes and employers will move on to the next applicant.鈥�

Don鈥檛 have a r茅sum茅 yet? CaPS offers several templates that you can tailor to your experience.

2. Print and Upload

After you鈥檝e perfected your r茅sum茅, upload it to , where you can search for jobs and internships as well as schedule career counseling appointments. Once you鈥檝e uploaded your r茅sum茅, you can make it visible to recruiters from the companies you are most interested in.听

Print several copies of your r茅sum茅 and bring them with you to the fair. Plan to hand at least two copies to the employers behind each table you approach. Bring some extras for backup, as you never know how many employers will be at the table to meet you.

Pro tip: Having a printed r茅sum茅 to hand off makes for a great ice-breaker when approaching an employer. For example: 鈥淢y name is ________. I sent my r茅sum茅 through Wildcat Careers, but I also brought a hard copy for you today.鈥�

3. Do Your Research

Employers need to see that you care about their company, not just about getting a job. Before the fair, research the companies that interest you and figure out who you will be talking to at the fair.听You should arrive at the听table knowing what the company does, what its mission is and how you would fit into it. Having some questions for the employer is a plus, too.

4. Practice Your Pitch

Your pitch is a radically summarized version of you 鈥� your skills, interests, experience and goals. You鈥檒l deliver your pitch in person to potential employers at the fair. The goal is to give the employer a snapshot of 鈥測ou,鈥� not a biography. Keep it under a minute 鈥� between 10 and 30 seconds is best.

What to include in your pitch:

• First and last name
• Major(s)/minor(s) and year in college
• Career or internship interests
• Prior relevant experience
• Relevant skills
• Goals

See a sample pitch script, then create your own and practice, practice, practice!

5. Embrace (and Prevent) Nerves!

Preparation is key to controlling nerves. Having a solid r茅sum茅 and practiced pitch will help you feel confident going into the fair. Still, you might feel some jitters, and that鈥檚 OK, says CaPS鈥檚 Nute.听

鈥淎 lot of people need to just to take a step back, take a deep breath and slow down,鈥� she says.

Pro tip: Don鈥檛 go to your top-pick company first. Visit the tables of some other companies so you can practice your pitch a few times before approaching the employers you are most interested in.

6. Follow Up

Your work is not finished when the fair ends. Be sure to ask for the business cards of every employer you speak with so you can follow-up with a written note (or cover letter!). After meeting with a potential employer at their table, go off to the side and jot down a couple of notes about your conversation 鈥� these notes will help you craft your follow-up. 听

听

For more career tips and consultations,听visit听Career Express.