T-Minus 156 Hours Until the Career Fair

Filed in Career Fair, From the Staff by on September 9, 2015

Hey Everyone,

Thanks to all those who attended the Resume & Career Fair Tips workshop that Gianna and I presented last night. It was my first workshop and I’m really happy with how it went, hopefully you guys learned some tricks on how to prepare for the upcoming Career Fair and on how to improve your resume!

Since the Career Fair is next Wednesday (the 16th) from 12:00 – 4:00pm in the Sports and Rec Center, you want to use these last few days to prepare.

Events and workshops to mark on your calendars:

  • Resumazing (resume critiques by employers) – Thurs, Sept 10 @ 12-6pm on the 4th floor of the Sports & Rec Center (note this is one of your last chances to get your resumes perfected before the career fair, but you can also drop off your resume at the CDC or email it to cdc@wpi.edu and the critiques will be given to you within 4 business days; you can also come to Walk-In hours – first come, first served!). First 250 attendees get a free t-shirt!
  • Why First Years Should go to the Career Fair – Mon, Sept 14 @ 5pm, SL 104
  • Company Interview Panel – Tues, Sept 15 @ 6pm, HL 116. The day after the Career Fair will be On Campus Interview Day, so this is your only chance to get some interview tips in case an employer contacts you for an interview.

General tips to prepare for the Career Fair:

  • Step 1: Do your research. Form a list of employers you want to talk to at the fair. Research the company overview: services/products/research the company provides. You can also find out what industry they’re a part of. Sources to use are Job Finder, WPI Career Fair Plus app, Hoovers (via the library database), Glassdoor, and the company website.
  • Step 2: Have your resume perfected; you should be talking to 10-15 companies minimum at the Career Fair, so bring double the amount of resumes (20-30 copies)!
  • Step 3: Dress to impress – wear business professional attire. If you don’t have business professional clothing, try your best to borrow from a friend or family or wear the best clothes you have. Don’t not (sorry for the double negative) go because you don’t have a suit.
  • Step 4: Bring WPI ID, business cards, copies of your resume, a folder/padfolio, and a pen and paper.
  • Step 5: Prepare elevator pitches that will align your skills to the positions you’re interested in. You can read the elevator pitch tipsheet for more information.

Other general tips: when you’re at the career fair, try to walk around a bit first to get a feel for the atmosphere. It can be really overwhelming if it’s your first one so try and get comfortable as you explore. Also, don’t go for your #1 company on your first try, talking to your other choices first will give you practice.

Even if you’re not planning to get an internship/full time job this upcoming summer, Career Fairs are great opportunities to practice meeting employers and introducing yourself. We hope to see you there! If you have any questions, feel free to email cdcpeeradvisors@wpi.edu .

So long, farewell!

-Jacky

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