Jobs, internships, co-ops available

Factoid:The Job Fair will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday in the Student Center Ballrooms

Matt Wang – [email protected]

Job-hunting students will have an opportunity to market themselves to various employers Tuesday at the Spring 2005 All-Majors Job Fair in the Student Center ballrooms.

The fair, which is open to all students and community members and will take place from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., will provide opportunities for jobs, internships and co-op positions. Career Services is sponsoring the fair, which will draw more than 75 employers from around the country.

For the first time, Career Services is also sponsoring the Graduate & Professional School Fair, which will take place at the same time as the Job Fair but in the John Corker Lounge in the Student Center. The Graduate & Professional School Fair will host several graduate programs from SIUC, as well as graduate programs from various other schools.

Beverly Robbins, the fair coordinator and Career Service Specialist, said students of all majors are encouraged to come to either fair, and should prepare by bringing several copies of a resume, dressing professionally and researching the companies and schools that will be attending.

The Spring Career Fair is expected to draw more than 1,300 candidates looking for job opportunities. The tables at the fair will be organized into five areas:Business/Management/Sales, Science/Agriculture/Natural Resources, Engineering/Technologies/Computer Science/Information Systems Management, Social/Government/Legal/Protective, and General.

Robbins added that students could receive help putting together a resume at Career Services, which is located in Woody Hall. Career Service Specialists are available to answer any questions a student might have concerning preparation for his or her career.

A student looking for help with a resume should at least bring in a draft that includes his or her major, experience and qualifications, Robbins said. She added that employers might schedule interviews as early as the next day, so preparation is essential.

“This is a way to investigate a lot of opportunities without leaving campus,” Robbins said.

Larry Briggs, an associate professor for the School of Art and Design, taught a class he called “Professional Reality” in which he helped students prepare to enter the job market upon graduation.

He said the first thing an interviewee should do is shake hands.

“Make it a firm handshake but don’t kill the guy,” he said. “Whether you are or not, act like you are self-assured.”

He also said the interviewee should provide steady and confident eye contact and should remain calm.

Briggs said that it is important not to appear uncomfortable in dress clothes. “A lot of women are not confident in heels, and so they feel uncomfortable,” Briggs said. “Get used to your dress clothes.”

Jewelry should be kept simple, and body piercings should be hidden or taken out, Briggs said. If the interviewee is a smoker, then it should be hidden. Don’t go in reeking of smoke.

Briggs said it is also useless to bring inessentials to an interview. If you don’t need a briefcase, then don’t bring one. “Make sure your resume is easily accessible,” he said.

The College of Business and Administration Student Council will sponsor a Business Attire Fashion Show at 7 p.m. Thursday February 24 in the Student Center Ballroom D, which will give students a sense of what to wear to an interview, what the latest styles are, and most importantly, what not to wear.

Stefanie Adams, the vice-president of programs for the student council, said that it is important for students to learn how to market themselves and their abilities.

Interviewees should make sure not to overdress or underdress, Adams said. She offered three pieces of advice:polish your shoes, don’t chew gum and don’t wear wildly painted fingernails.

“You can have the degree, and you can have the academic knowledge, but if you don’t know how to present that knowledge and present yourself, it doesn’t count,” Adams said.

Reporter Matt Wang can be reached at [email protected].