Career Fair helps Eagles find success

Morehead State's Office of Career Services will hold the Spring Career Fair on Tuesday, March 6, offering students a jump-start on the path to success. 

MSU students need to do more than just focus on academic goals and enjoy the social aspects of the college experience. They need to be thinking ahead. Eagle students need to begin positioning themselves to break into the current job market as soon as they arrive on campus.
 
This is why MSU holds its fall and spring Career Fairs: to provide students unique opportunities that will help increase their chances for career success.

Face Time

Many students’ idea of job hunting involves spending hours in front of a computer searching online for employment opportunities. At MSU’s Career Fairs, you can connect with more than 80 employers and graduate programs all under one roof while learning about full-time and part-time jobs, internships, co-ops and summer jobs.
 
“I think the main reason to attend the MSU Career Fair is the face-to-face contact with potential employers and graduate schools. It gives students an opportunity to get a leg up on the competition,” said Megan Boone, employer relations liaison with MSU’s Office of Career Services. “The ones that make a positive first impression are remembered.”
 
Boone also said it's important for underclassmen – even freshmen – to make attending a career fair a priority

“I think the biggest misconception still is that it’s just for seniors,” she said. “Students don’t realize the networking component and the opportunities for getting internships. It’s about gaining information and advice to differentiate yourself.”
 
The importance of gaining internship experience can’t be overstated. In fact, nearly all of the employers taking part in National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Job Outlook 2015 survey said they prefer to hire job candidates who have work experience.

Prepared to Perform

Students should take the time to do a bit of preparation before they attend the Career Fair:

•  Dress the part. Make sure you are dressed in business attire and potential employers will immediately take you more seriously. If you don’t have a suit or business jacket, feel free to visit the Suit Bank in the MSU’s Office of Career Services. If you find something that you like and that fits, you can have it without charge.
• Bring copies of your resume and have an introduction prepared that will serve as what Boone calls your “30-second commercial.”
• Research the companies and schools in attendance and be prepared with questions to ask them. A representative with Cintas Corporations puts it well, “Come to the Career Fair prepared by researching the companies. When you walk up to the table, maintain eye contact and initiate the conversation. It always impresses me and allows us to have a meaningful conversation when students know about Cintas.”
• Taper expectations. Some students think they will walk into the Career Fair and walk out with a new job. While this can happen, it’s often not the case. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get a job interview, land an internship or do some networking that may prove crucial down the road. “It’s as much about who you know as what you know,” Boone said.

Preparation Meets Opportunity

As a senior majoring in computer and electronics engineering technology, Brandon Lindsey made it a point not to simply attend the Career Fair, but be more than prepared when he spoke with potential employers.
 
Lindsey visited Career Services’ Suit Bank to find appropriate attire and attended various workshops and seminars to fine-tune his resume and do mock interviews. By the time he attended the Career Fair, he ended up landing an interview that led to a summer internship as a solutions engineering intern with Fujitsu Network Communications in Dallas, Texas.
 
“I consider it a privilege to have such access to this many companies and the ability to grow your professional network,” Lindsey said. “Since day one, I have taken advantage of almost all the services Career Services has to offer.”

Phoning It In

For students experiencing their first MSU Career Fair, having so many people, employers and graduate programs in one place can be a bit overwhelming. Career Services is continuing to offer an app to help attendees practically have the event in the palm of their hand.
 
The Morehead State Career Fair Plus app is a free application that is available for both Apple and Android devices. The app provides a real-time map of the employers and graduate programs in attendance, allowing you to pinpoint and favorite particular organizations prior to their arrival.
 
“We’re hoping it makes it a more efficient experience for students on the day of the fair,” Boone said.

More to Learn

The MSU Fall Career Fair takes place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 6, at the gym in the Laughlin Health Building. MSU students and alumni from all majors are encouraged to attend and the event is free and open to the public.
 
After the Career Fair, MSU Career Services is offering several workshops and events to give you even more helpful tools, knowledge and opportunities to aid you in both your career fair experience and your job search.
 
Internship Basics Workshop
Tuesday, March 13
3:30 – 4:30 p.m.
Career Center
150 University Blvd.
(Ground floor of Camden-Carroll Library)
 
Education Career Fair
Tuesday, March 27
3:30 – 6 p.m.
Kroger Field
Lexington, Kentucky
 
Health Care Job Fair
Wednesday, April 11
10:30 a.m. – 2 p.m.
CHER Building
Room 102D
 
Etiquette Networking Dinner
Tuesday, April 24
4:30 – 7 p.m.
CHER Building

To learn more, call 606-783-2233 or visit www.moreheadstate.edu/career.