As Wednesday's Job Fair approaches, students should take the necessary steps to make sure they are prepared for the opportunities that may come their way. The fair is held between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Convocation Center.

PREPARATION

-Build a resume and have it reviewed at the Career Center in the Campus Life Building, room 235. Avoid using templates if possible. If you need helping building a resume, make an appointment with a Career Counselor.

-Log on to the NIU Career Services Web site (http://www.niu.edu/CareerServices) and check out which companies are registered to attend the job fair. More than 100 prospective employers will be in attendance.

-Do your homework — find specific companies you’d like to work for and research them.
“Preview employers and identify ones that closely match your career intentions,” said Mary Myers, assistant director of campus and employer relations for Career Services. “Employers hate when students come up to them and say ‘I don’t know anything about your company.’ What it says to them is, ‘I don’t really want to work for you.’”

-Prepare a 30-45 second speech to introduce yourself to companies at the fair. The speech should also illustrate your qualifications and unique skills.

-Contact employers of interest before the fair; explain your interest and send a cover letter and resume to companies you plan to visit.

-Develop a plan of action for the day; start with employers that interest you most and move down the list from there.

AT THE FAIR

-Bring more copies of your resume than you think you’ll need. One copy will serve as your ticket into the fair, and you never know when you might come across an unexpected opportunity to give one out.

-Ask as many questions as the employer does. Show them you’re interested in working for them and interested in what their company does.

-Remember to give a firm handshake and keep eye contact with each and every employer as you speak with them.

-Do not, under any circumstances, ask questions about salary or benefits. Save those for the interview, if it gets that far.

-Relax.

“Be able to talk and smile and enjoy meeting with employers,” Myers said.

CONDUCT

-Dress professionally.

“Conservative, well-pressed, tailored business attire is your best choice,” the Career Services Web site states.

-Once you set foot in the convocation center, turn your cell phone off or silence it. Either way, avoid using it during the fair.

-Eat before you attend the fair.

-Do not chew gum.

-Do not walk around with friends.

-Approach employers with confidence.

-If you’re next in line to talk to an employer, show some courtesy to the person in front of you. Keep a 2-3 step distance between you and the person in front of you until the employer is finished speaking.

REMINDERS

-Arrive as close to 10 a.m. as possible.

-Follow up with companies you are interested in working for. They’re not going to come to you.
“Resumes don’t get you jobs,” Myers said. “Going to the fair won’t get you a job. Getting an interview will get you a job.”

-Don’t fret if your major is something other than business or accounting. Using the list of registered companies at the Career Services Web site, find employers that are set up for all majors.

“Employers who are really looking for people who are promotable look at all majors,” Myers said. Myers used psychology majors as examples of great leaders, as they often have special insight when it comes to how to manage people or how to recognize how others feel.

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