Seniors, it’s time to start thinking about the “real world.” Time to start constructing your résumé. Time to start applying for jobs. Time to start going on interviews. And time to start building your career. On Thursday, Jan. 31, Career Services held their first STRIVE event of 2013 for Elizabethtown College seniors.
STRIVE planned a series of career preparation events designed specifically for seniors to help them prepare for life outside of college. Mary Krikorian, assistant director for Transition Programs and Alumni Engagement, planned this most recent event to provide seniors with tips for job fair success. “Attending job fairs is a great way to meet employers!” Krikorian said.
She then introduced the speaker for the event, Erica Smith, a Talent Acquisitions Manager for Enterprise. Smith stated that she would focus her presentation on four main points: how to prepare for a job fair, how to conduct oneself at a job fair, how to stand out among other aspiring applicants and what to do post-fair.
Smith emphasized the importance of preparing for a job fair. It is crucial that when attending a job fair, you arrive at the beginning of the event so that you do not miss any of the employers. It is also imperative to have an updated résumé before you go. When employers ask for a résumé, supply them with one, and be sure to have multiple copies. It is also important to research a company before talking to one of their representatives; you want to be knowledgeable of their goals and what they offer.
Appearance demonstrates maturity and professionalism to employers. Smith told the students, “Look the part; I think that’s very important.” She also said not to be intimidated by employers, because they are simply attending the fair to find new ambitious employees.
Another imperative fundamental rule is to limit the amount of socializing you do with your friend group at a job fair or interview; you are wasting employers’ valuable time if you stand around and chat about last night’s big game.
At a job fair you will find anywhere from 20 to 100 employers representing their companies. Those employers are looking for new employees who are ready to enter the working world with open arms. When approaching a representative be ready to explain what you are looking for within a job and company.
Additionally, at this point, you should have an elevator speech in your mind. Don’t know what that is? An elevator speech is a 30-second speech explaining some important details about yourself such as previous work history, where you went to college and why you picked your major. The objective of this speech is to build yourself up in a positive manner. Smith said, “Knowing the simple things about yourself is key.”
At this point in the presentation, Smith asked for a volunteer to come forward and form an elevator speech with her. Senior Ian Heist enthusiastically volunteered. Heist and Smith then began to brainstorm things that would allow Heist to stand out from other applicants. Heist later stated that the most important piece of information he took from the event was, “knowing how to perform your elevator speech and being able to sell yourself” to employers and people of high authority within a company.
The final step before leaving a job fair is to ask the employer, “What’s next?” That next step could possibly be an interview or an internship.
After a job fair, it is important to follow up with the recruiters. Smith stated, “I encourage you to follow up with employers after a job fair or interview – thank-you cards and emails are appreciated. You need to market and sell yourself at all times.” Sending a simple thank-you card demonstrates your interest in the company and helps to make you more familiar to them.
Senior Mary Settle found the event to be very helpful because she said that Smith “touched on a lot of points that I might not have thought of, including how to approach representatives at job fairs and what kinds of information to research about a company before approaching them.”
Etown students might find Smith’s advice to be especially useful when the College hosts its upcoming job fair on March 19.
The next STRIVE event will be held on Feb. 5 in Hoover 214 at 5 p.m. and is titled, “Understanding Your Student Loans.” Chris Mowl, assistant director of Financial Aid, will present information and answer questions about how to handle student loan repayment. If you would like to learn more about STRIVE events, contact Career Services at careerservices@etown.edu or call 717-361-1206.