director of career services, 308.865.8501
Students getting ready to graduate and begin their careers can get a jump start by attending the Fall Career Fair on Thursday, Oct. 12, at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.
Sponsored by UNK Career Services, the event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on the second floor of the Nebraskan Student Union. Approximately 53 employers and four graduate schools will be represented at the fair.
Prospective employers range from the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs to Principal Financial group. Graduate schools include UNK Graduate Studies & Research, University of Nebraska Lincoln College of Law, UNL Graduate Studies, and UNL Community and Regional Planning.
In addition to providing a setting that assists students in their job hunts, Career Services also supports students with tips on how to conduct themselves at an interview.
Career Services recently sponsored a workshop to prepare students for the upcoming career fair. Nancy Kneen, UNK Career Services director, said that the workshop gave students a general overview of what to expect at the event. She also said that students were instructed on what to bring and wear to the fair, as well as how to conduct introductions.
In addition to the career fair workshop, Kneen said that Career Services offers many preparatory services for students who are searching for employment or internships. Services that are offered include resume critiques, video-taped practice interviews, graduate/professional school assistance, workshops on how to interview, resume and job search correspondence instruction, etiquette seminars, on-line job listing help, and an on-campus interview program for full-time employment and internships.
Kneen shared a few tips for how students should present themselves at the career fair. She said that freshmen and sophomore students can dress more casually, but those above a junior class standing should wear business apparel.
When approaching a table, Kneen said students should be prepared to introduce themselves, and include their name, major or interest area, a little biographical information, and what they have to offer to the company or organization.
According to Kneen, approximately one-third of students attending the career fair get an interview. Accordingly, Kneen advises students to treat the fair like a job interview.
“Students should conduct themselves professionally at all times,” Kneen said. “They should about how a professional in their field carries themselves, presents themselves to others, and then model that at the career fair.”
Kneen said that employers will expect students to have a resume, so attendees should bring multiple copies. She also encourages students to review the Career Services Web site in advance, so they have an idea of what employers will be attending the fair and what opportunities are available.
A point Kneen stresses is that employers are looking to hire.
“Employers attending are looking at hiring December, May and summer graduates,” Kneen said. “They begin hiring early. We’ve already had several companies in Career Services this fall hiring May grads. Even if a student doesn’t yet feel prepared, we hope they will at least stop by and visit more informally, pick up information, etc.”
For more information concerning the Fall Career Fair, as well as a complete listing of the companies and schools attending the event, individuals can log-on to the UNK Office of Career Services Web site at http://careers.unk.edu.
