September 9, 2014
Career Fair 2014, Get a Job Get a job! 3 Important Tips
RAND SILVERS News Editor
Fall Career Fair is one of the largest and most important events on campus each year. With well over 300 companies currently registered, Fall 2014 promises to be a record-breaking year. The Fair itself is in the SDC Wood Gym and Multipurpose Room on September 30th, but Career Fair events are spread through the whole month, and have already begun. “What companies are really looking for is access to you. Michigan Tech students are a really hot commodity right now, with the economy swinging around and baby boomers retiring…. There’s a huge movement for companies to get on campus early so they can meet you, and come the fair, have lines going out the door,” said Steve Patchin, one of the Directors at Career Services. “The worst fear of any company is to come all they way up here and have no one talk to them. They want you to know who they are.” Companies are hosting a variety of events on campus. Gerdau hosted a viewing of last week’s Packer game, while Oshkosh is hosting a showing of Transformers 4, and are bringing along one of their vehicles which features in the film. Some companies, including Ford, have sent representatives to conduct practice interviews and help students with resumes. Information sessions are a great way to gain more information about companies of interest and meet representatives prior
to the Fair. The schedule of information sessions was not available at press time, but will be hosted on the Career Services website. The growth in these extra events is largely a reflection of the fact that the single-day Career Fair has reached its capacity; as Patchin said, “We’ve filled all the hotels in the Keweenaw, and we’re starting to fill rooms in Marquette and the surrounding area. Some companies are calling and saying they can’t find rooms anywhere at all, so they have to cancel…. The Career Fairs are going to stay large, but you’re going to see more of these smaller, more focused events.” One major area of growth is in specialized days for different fields. Some of these already exist, such as Petroleum Day on Thursday the 11th, or Steel Day on Wednesday the 24th. Career Services is currently looking into establishing a Medical Career Day as well. Career Services hopes to use these events to target fields and majors that are typically not as emphasized at the Career Fair itself. Another opportunity being explored is Virtual Career Fairs. These make it very easy for students to interact with a wide range of companies using webcams, headsets and specialized software the University has acquired. According to Patchin, the University is hiring staff specifically for facilitating Virtual Career Fairs, so students can expect to see a greater emphasis on these in the next several years. One point of controversy among some students is that classes are still in session
1. Use campus resources
Go to the resume and interview blitzes. They’re great for developing or sharpening skills to gain that job, co-op or internship.
2. Know the companies
Pick several target companies and look them up. Knowing what a company does is critical, and running their name though a news search can help impress recruiters.
3. Follow up
Following up with a thank you note or just emailing to check in on your application shows interest. Active engagement with the company can help after the Career Fair.
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