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Home ยป Career Day Tips for Candidates Career Day Tips for Candidates
Before the Career Day . . . Plan to wear a professional outfit—first impressions are critical and lasting:- Do not wear jeans, t-shirts, wrinkled clothes, sneakers or hats.
- Employers strongly discourage mini skirts, tank/halter/sleeveless tops, low cut or tight fitting shirts, facial or tongue piercings, and visible tattoos.
- Women—wear a suit, pants suit, blazer with skirt or dress, conservative color, no heavy jewelry or perfume.
- Men—wear a suit, jacket & tie with slacks, conservative color, no heavy cologne or after-shave.
Prepare plenty of copies of your resume—more than you think you'll need:- Have an attractive resume on good quality paper, using bold, underline, and bullets; we strongly suggest white or other neutral-color paper.
- Check carefully for typos, spelling and grammar errors.
- Have it critiqued at Career Services.
- Keep them in a folder or portfolio at the event. Do not bring them to the career day on a disk.
- Prepare a scannable resume free of special effects so it can be scanned into the employer's applicant tracking system for online screening.
- Bring both types of resumes to the career day.
- Some employers may also ask you to submit your resume through their company website for their specific type of applicant tracking system. This is a growing trend and a few employers no longer accept paper resumes in person.
Familiarize yourself with the employers:- Decide which employers you want to speak with and prioritize them.
- Research, research, research—a list of participating employers is available on our website two weeks prior to each event.
- Click the "Details" button next to each employer for hiring needs and contact information.
- Click on the employer name to go to their website.
Market yourself- Develop an introduction to use when meeting employers at career days and other networking events.
At the Career Day . . . Come early in the day—employers are at their peak and there is less competition:- Bring a pen, folder or portfolio for your resumes, and perhaps a pad of paper.
- Carry as little as possible (no coats or backpacks, etc.)
- Turn off cell phones in the employer areas.
Approach employer representatives with confidence:- Introduce yourself, make good eye contact, and offer a firm handshake.
- Give the recruiter your resume and tell him/her about yourself and your career interests.
- Ask questions about job openings/descriptions, the organization, application procedures, etc.
- Collect business cards and employer literature.
Speak with as many employers as possible:- Visit your top choices first. Avoid standing in a long line to speak with one recruiter when you could talk with 3 or 4 others in the same time period.
After the Career Day . . . Send a thank you letter or e-mail message:- Thank employers for their time at the career day. Restate your interest to those employers in which you are particularly interested.
- Include a copy of your resume. Since most candidates will not follow up with employers after the career day, this will make you stand out.
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