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MISHAWAKA—Why do people attend college? For most the answer to this question is so they can pursue their dreams and hopefully, one day, land a job in their field of interest. The upcoming Career Fair provides the perfect platform to get connected and take the necessary steps to obtain a job, while also providing a good way to practice skills one must have in order to succeed in the work world.
The Career Fair, put on by Career and Development Office, will be taking place on Wednesday, March 13 at 10:00 A.M. and continue until 1:00 P.M. It will be held in the Wiekamp Athletic Center. This event is a big deal because so many students benefit greatly from it.
Many months go into the organizing and planning of the event. Every year it is the goal to improve the Career Fair in some way, and the Career Development Office works very closely with employers to figure out what will work best for everyone. Employers who have attended past Career Fairs put on by Bethel, really appreciate the hospitality shown to them during their visit, and there have been many great relationships formed because it. Also, Bethel Alumni will often participate by bringing businesses they are involved in with them to the Career Fair.
The Career Fair is open to all students, and many can benefit from attending. There will be around one hundred employers present, which provides many opportunities for students to secure possible internships, future jobs, or any openings the employers have in mind. It also provides a unique opportunity to practice proper etiquette when it comes to applying for jobs.
There are already many seniors graduating this year who have future jobs lined up as a result of participating in the annual Career Fair in past years. Some majors and professors require students (mainly juniors and seniors) to attend the event, but that doesn’t mean that freshmen and sophomores are not welcome also. In fact, they are encouraged to go as well, if for nothing else then the experience of it, and possibly getting a jump-start on their careers.
There are many ways a student can prepare for the Career Fair to raise the chance of success. One of these would be working on a resume. If you need help preparing a resume, you can go to the tutoring website and click on resume coaching and set up a meeting to go over the resume and answer any questions that come up. If a student has never created a resume before, you can go to the Career Development webpage and there is a new packet up that explains how to create a resume. After looking at the packet and creating a resume, it would also be a good idea to have it checked for errors. Another way of preparation, would be to go one the Career Fair page and look up any employers of interest to have an idea of who to try to approach and talk to at the fair. It would also be a great idea to come up with an “elevator pitch,” meaning a short way to introduce oneself to employers. One may also prepare by working on “soft skills,” which would be things such as handshakes, eliminating nervous habits, and being able to carry on professional conversations. The last piece of advice would be to dress up. This is considered an important event, so if students show up in casual attire, it will most likely be frowned upon.
If students participate, and properly prepare for the Career Fair the hope is many will be able to walk away with possible next steps after graduation.
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