Cal State Long Beach’s Fall Job and Internship Fair 2006 kicks off at noon tomorrow, and students planning on attending the two-day event will have a lot of resources open to them.
Career Counselor Carol Brown-Elston said preparing in advance for the job and internship fair can prove beneficial because the short interviews at the fair can lead to more interviews and career opportunities off campus.
She said students attending the job fair should do their research and prepare an introduction. She also said students need to remember to bring a resume with them.
Brown-Elston said students would benefit greatly from doing research on companies who will be at the fair. She said that, while some companies at the fair are interested in students from one particular field, the majority of companies slated to be there are open to hiring from all majors.
Brown-Elston recommended students get background information on the companies they want to talk to so they can build strategies for how they will market themselves and prepare questions to ask potential employers.
She also recommended preparing a 20 to 30 second “infomercial” to use as a starting point with each company. She said students should include a greeting, their major, expected graduation date and information they have gathered on the company into their introductions. She stressed that background information on the companies is important for those who are serious about finding a job or internship.
Brown-Elston said the representatives will also be there “to wipe sweaty palms.”
She said that students should be aware of the first impression they give potential employers. She also said they should make eye contact, smile and use a firm handshake.
“You want to make a positive first impression,” she said.
Brown-Elston said the interviewers will be taking notes on how potential employees present themselves. She said it is important to be poised and have confidence in what you can offer an employer. She said students should also dress like they would for an interview that is not on campus. She said students applying for full-time jobs should wear professional attire, such as a suit while those applying for internships and part-time jobs should wear business casual attire. She also said that people attending the job fair should try, if possible, to avoid bringing children because they might be a distraction.
Brown-Elston said students who are unsure of which companies to meet can visit the Career Development Center’s information table, which will be at the entrance to the University Student Union Ballroom. She said the table will have maps and representatives from the CDC who can help students develop strategies.
Information on companies that will be at the fair can be found at the Career Development Center’s Web site at http://careers.csulb.edu.
