Career Fair Thursday

Nancy Kneen
director of career services, 308.865.8501

Students at the University of Nebraska at Kearney will have an opportunity to meet with representatives from a variety of employers and graduate schools at the annual fall Career & Graduate School Fair scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 13, from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. in the Nebraskan Student Union Ponderosa Room.

More than 50 businesses are expected to attend the fair. Employers will range from retailers, including The Buckle and Target, to governmental agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service and nonprofit organizations, including Girls and Boys Town.

Potential employers will be joined by more than a dozen graduate schools attending the fair with information for students who want to do advanced study. Among the graduate schools attending will be the Universities of Nebraska at Lincoln and Omaha, the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley and Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa.

The UNK Office of Career Services has many tools to help students prepare to attend the fair. Job search materials– including sample resumes, cover letters and interview questions–are available in the Office of Career Services. In addition to these resources, the office provides video-taped practice interviews and a resume critique service.

According to UNK Office of Career Services Director Nancy Kneen, students have several options when it comes to preparing to apply for a job.

“Students can either drop off or e-mail their resumes for us to critique, attend one of our Java & Job Wednesdays in the office or submit their resume for correction during one of our Resume Medic activities in the various departments around campus,” she said.

The Web site for the Office of Career Services has tips for individuals preparing for the career fair and the interview experience. These tips cover a wide range of topics from appropriate interview attire and how to prepare for the interview to how to structure a “Thank you” note after an interview.

Kneen said that students attending the Career & Graduate School Fair, who are seriously looking for interview opportunities, should dress in attire appropriate for an interview and be prepared to interview on the spot. It is also suggested that students have several copies of their resume with them when they attend the fair.

“Students who are just looking for information and are not ready for the interview process are welcome and don’t need to feel like they have to dress up,” Kneen said. “But if you’re serious, you’re going to want to put your best foot forward and look the part.”

Kneen said that this event has been successful for students in the past. Of the students who completed the evaluation after last year’s career fair, 39% said that they had at least one interview as a result of their attendance.

“That was really encouraging for us to see,” she said.

More information concerning the event, and the companies and schools attending can be found at the Web site for the Office of Career Services, http://careers.unk.edu.