The Career Fair on March 10 will feature Hawaii employers such as Make-A-Wish foundation and graduate schools like UC San Diego, says Career Services website. It runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Aloha Center Ballroom.
This semester’s Career Fair was organized by student Emma Hunt. “She’s doing a great job,” said Mark MacDonald, director of Alumni and Career Services. “It’s proving that students can do great things.”
Hunt said, “As a student, contacting employers to come to our Career Fair was exhilarating...We’ve worked really hard as a team this year to get employers that can be of interest of people of all majors.
"A big success by Geoff Lewis and Keiliani Briones was getting a mental health group out here to attract the psychology majors.”
Hunt said she was particularly excited that she got Make-A-Wish Foundation to also come to campus. She said students should think professionally as they come to the fair.
“We would love for students to come with the mentality that this is a job interview. Come prepared with your resume, questions, and be dressed professionally. We want to impress the employers. It’s a big deal that they come all the way out here to recruit, and we want them to keep coming back.”
The Career Services website gives tips for students preparing for the fair. It says:
1. Target three organizations
Go over the list of attendees and select three organizations to research and learn about in advance. Identify three questions to ask recruiters from each of those organizations.
2. Bring four versions of your resume
Bring one general, all-purpose resume as well as targeted, tailored resumes for the three organizations you selected to research.
3. Map out an action plan
Locate the booths of the organizations you targeted. Warm-up by visiting at several other booths first. Browse through the handout materials. If the recruiters are busy with other attendees, be patient. Browse through the handouts or review the display materials. You may identify some additional questions to ask.
4. Have relevant talks with recruiters
Greet with a handshake, a smile and steady eye contact. Don’t fumble for your notes. Review them before approaching the booth.
5. Prepare an “elevator speech”
Have a short 30-60 second presentation to introduce yourself, your interests, strengths and abilities and particularly your interest in that organization.
6. Use the time wisely. Don’t waste or take up too much of the interviewer’s time.
Have a graceful exit line. (Example: I see there are others waiting to speak with you. Perhaps I could stop by later and visit with you further when things are less hectic?)
7. Get a business card so you can follow up with the recruiter later
MacDonald said he knows the Career Fairs mostly features organizations from Hawaii and the mainland, which can make students hoping to live and work internationally feel it is useless for them. To remedy that, the department has begun organizing an online Career Fair that will have virtual “booths” for companies that span the globe.