Just Attended A Career Fair? Find Out What To Do Next!

 By Kiernan King, Toppel Peer Advisor

Attending a career fair allows you to explore a variety of career options that you wouldn’t normally have thought about. In doing so, you allow yourself to connect with many employers from a variety of companies and have an opportunity to network and even practice that elevator pitch.

You had your résumés off to countless HR representatives and then…that’s it?

Wrong.

What you do at the career fair is almost more important than what you did while you were there. Here are some steps to follow!

1. Get Organized

Since you probably spoke with many potential employers, it’s important to stay organized and keep track of all your job leads. Did you collect business cards, informational brochures and packets? Can you read that e-mail address that you frantically jotted down after someone said they knew someone better suited to help you with your career goals? Create a document that helps you keep track of everyone you spoke with and some highlights of the conversation you had with them.

2. Follow-Up

You probably gathered as many business cards as you could, now it’s important to follow up with the contacts you met. Send an email, thank you letter or make a phone call. 

Make sure it is well-written and free of grammar errors. Make note of something the employer said they’d help you with, chances are they spoke with many people and don’t remember anything they told you. 

Don’t make this casual. Go to the organization’s website and find specific positions you could apply for, tie your skill sets to match the open position, let them know you’re excited about the opportunity and that you value their input from speaking with them at the event.

3. Make Necessary Changes to Your Resume

If you received any critiques at the fair, be sure to make those changes now. It’s important to keep this document up-to-date, as your skill set changes with each new experience you take on. If needed, come to the Toppel Career Center for walk-in advising Mon-Thurs from 10:00-4:30, a peer advisor will be more than willing to help you out!

4. Practice, Practice, Practice!

Continue to practice your interviewing skills. Everyone claims they are good at interviewing, but are you really? You want to stay sharp and not be nervous before you interview for your dream job.

5. Reflect

It’s important to see how you managed yourself so you can prepare and make any improvements next time. Were you shy? Awkward? Confused? Did you seem to make a fool out of yourself or did you make a joke that left the employers with a good impression? What’s something I would do differently? What worked?

There is always plenty to do once you leave a career fair, just remember to give yourself props for attending one and know that it is never too early, or late, to go to one!

How to Make the Most of the Career Expo: Before, During, and After

By Monique Beaupre, Peer Advisor

Before:

Research the companies that will be there.

Find the full list of participants here. Plan to pay special attention to opportunities that stand out to you.

Update your resume.

Stop at the Toppel Career Center during walk-in hours (Monday-Thursday, 10am-4:30pm) to get your resume critiqued. Print out at least 20 copies of your polished resume once it has been approved. 

Check your wardrobe.

Make sure you have appropriate professional attire to wear. For tips on dressing for success, click here. Remember that we require business professional attire at this event.

Review your career goals.

Are you still figuring out what you like and are willing to dip your toes in different sectors? Or are you on a straight and narrow path to the dream job? Decide what you’re looking for and know how to communicate that at the Expo.

Don’t get nervous, get excited!

This opportunity is much more likely to make you than break you. Professionals have taken time to seek out Hurricanes and are thrilled at the chance to meet you. It’s your time to show off your accomplishments and shine.

During:

Making a great first impression begins with a smile.

Smiling will make you appear more friendly and approachable.

Show interest and ask questions.

Professionals love what they do – but not as much as they love talking about what they do. They are happy to share their experiences with you. Indicate your enthusiasm in what they’re telling you. “Tell me more about...” is a simple and skillful way to facilitate a great conversation.

Give a brief, memorable spiel about yourself.

Try not to ramble, but mention valuable accomplishments, experiences, or goals of yours.

After:

Follow up within 48 hours.

Email or call connections you’ve made and let them know how nice it was to meet them. Mention something you discussed so they can easily remember you. If you’ve promised them a sample of your work, make sure you get that to them. Keeping your word gives you credibility.

For additional information on preparing for Career Expo visit: https://www.sa.miami.edu/toppel/mainsite/Students/CareerFairsandEvents/PreparingforaCareerFair.aspx.

Orchestrating your Life in B Major and C Minor

Majors and Minors Fair

Written By: Priyanka Surio

So you want to compose the Soundtrack to Your Life, but you are in need of instruction. You have to take on the challenge of making a decision about your career. The first step to orchestrating your future is finding your calling.

The Orchestra is hosting auditions Wednesday, February 15, from 1-4 p.m. at the UC Rock Plaza and your up. You have your College of Arts and Sciences housing a plethora of the majors and minors at this University, the School of Education, boasting of it's early on hands on immersion in teaching, the Nursing School where real students see real patients, School of Business where your entrepreneurial mind is fostered, and many more that all come together like the players in an orchestra. You just have to find which niche expounds upon your natural talent and passion.

What are the qualifications? It isn't true that you have to be a freshman in order to be allowed in. People find they have multiple interests or discover hidden talents and maybe you are a first semester junior who just had an epiphany. Either way it never hurts to try and the Majors and Minors Fair is just the right place to start organizing, prioritizing, and making headway with your interests.

What if I have stage-fright? Breathe deeply and remember that although you can speak to your adviser, the occasional upperclassmen who has changed their major 5X, or your Mom, nothing can give you a better feel other than speaking with the representatives in each department yourself.

Sing your heart out about what your interests and goals are. When you do this, each department will understand what you are trying to achieve and be able to better identify what major or minor would be most applicable for you.

While some notes may look foreign, you will be amazed at how much you learn about each Department and how this can help you identify what your role is in this greater orchestra. Therefore, it is important to peruse each option with careful consideration, as does the violinist, who uses painstaking effort to clean his bow and tune his strings.

Create your own masterpiece. By the end of the Majors and Minors Fair you should have a clear idea of what your first masterpiece will revolve around. Sure you will have a few hiccups in G minor, but even Mozart didn't play ingeniously at first. He discovered his passion and became a prodigy through dedication to his love for music. You too can become a prodigy within whatever department you choose. Like the famous adage says, "To truly live, you must commit to a cause that you believe in.  Once you find it, do not commit yourself half way; dedicate yourself wholeheartedly".