The 2013 Spring Career Expo: Your Career Superbowl

By Robert Vanisko

Now that the Superbowl is over, it is time for you to turn your attention to your very own Career Superbowl, the 2013 Spring Career Expo.  After putting in long hours of practice studying and honing your skills in the classroom, you now have the chance to be in front of dozens of employers looking to hire UM students.

Like Joe Flacco and Ray Lewis had to prepare for their Superbowl, you need to prepare as well.  Instead of practicing on the football field however, you are going to need to practice in other ways.  First, you need to make sure your resume is up to date and has been critiqued by the Toppel Career Center. In preparation for Career Expo, Toppel will be hosting Resumania on Monday, February 11 and Tuesday, February 12  from 10 a.m. -5 p.m. to get as many students’ resumes critiqued as possible. You should also be prepared by having numerous copies of your resume to hand out to all of those potential employers. Participating in a Mini-Mock Interview at Toppel could help prepare you for the questions these employers will be asking.   

No matter how good a football player is, they would not be able to play in the Superbowl if they did not show up in uniform, and the same goes for you. For the Career Expo, your uniform will be dressing business professional. For both men and women, that means wearing a suit, preferably black, grey, or dark blue. Men should have a matching jacket and pants, black socks, and a conservative tie. Women, if you are wearing a skirt suit, it should go to the knee. For more tips on dressing for success, click here. 

One of the best parts about the Career Expo is that you do not need to travel all the way to the New Orleans Superdome to get there. The Career Expo will be taking place in the Wellness Center on campus on Wednesday, February 13 from 3 - 7 p.m. We also promise that there will not be any blackouts to delay your job seeking experience.

While landing a prized job or internship may not be quite as exciting as winning the Superbowl, it is still a great accomplishment that can go a long way towards a future career. Good luck and perform your best at the Expo and you could be well on your way towards a rewarding career!

Quick Start the Spring Semester

By Oleg Ignatenko

The spring semester is in full swing and what better way to fully maximize your time and make something out of it than by getting involved and attending the many Toppel Career Center events that will occur throughout the upcoming months.

Many of you may have attended the Spring Kick Off at The Rock and got a chance to be introduced to Toppel, win a prize or get a slice of pizza.  For those of you who didn't, don't stress out because there will be plenty of other events where you will be able to get involved.

Lets focus on the next big event not to miss on February 6th - the EPIC Program (Employer Practice Interview & Critique).  During this event students will get an opportunity to receive a mock interview as well as get their resumes critiqued by various employers and it is a great way to prepare for the upcoming Career Expo.  Students will get the experience of being able to talk to the employer about their resume and find out what the employer will be looking for on certain resumes. During the mock interview appointment, the employer will conduct the interview and afterwards critique the student and allow them to ask any questions they might have on what they can do to improve.

Is your resume up to date, do you want to improve it or just create a brand new one and you don't know what to do?  Then make sure you come to RESUMANIA!  This is the biggest resume event we have all semester.  Students will have the opportunity to meet with peer advisers, members of the staff or the graduate assistants on a walk-in basis who will be ready to help in an instant with any questions about resumes.  

Moving on to the next event and it is the one you absolutely do not want to miss.  Get ready for the Career Expo!  This is the single biggest event that is sponsored through the Toppel Career Center.  This year there will be over 100 various employers looking to speak to bright and ambitious students with various aspirations in hopes of finding a good candidate for their company.  This event is specifically designed to expose University of Miami students to different career paths and allow them to network with professionals. Students will have a chance to meet with representatives from various companies and ask questions about the company and inquire what type of students they are looking for as well as internship, development, and other opportunities.  Don't forget to dress in business professional attire and bring plenty of resumes.  Career Expo is Wednesday, February 13 from 3:00-7:00 p.m. in the Herbert Wellness Center.

If you are not sure what to wear to the Career Expo, you can check out the How to Dress for A Career Expo blog by our star peer adviser Robert Vanisko.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the events and visit us at the Toppel Career Center! 
You can our calendar here.