Get ready: 71 employers are hitting up Binghamton University for the Spring 2009 Job and Internship Fair.
The event will take place Thursday, Feb. 12, from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Events Center.
According to Bill McCarthy, the associate director of the Career Development Center, this year’s Fair will be “a little more competitive,” but organizations are still recruiting.
“It’s not what it was in past years,” he added, referring to the fact that 112 employers attended last year’s Fair.
Caitlyn Edmundson, a junior mathematics and economics major, is planning to attend.
“I’m a little nervous,” she said. “The economic situation has made jobs more scarce than they have been in the past, but I do believe they’re out there if you look hard enough.”
Here’s how you can prepare for the Job Fair …
— You won’t be able to see all the recruiters in four hours, so a strategy is necessary.
“Make a hit list,” McCarthy said.
The list of attending organizations is listed online at the Career Development Center’s Web site.
— Bring plenty of professional-looking resumes and a portfolio. Dress professionally.
“It’s an investment of money,” McCarthy said. “It’ll take time and money, and hopefully it’ll turn into something good down the road.”
— Polish that first contact with a recruiter as best you can. While waiting in line to speak to recruiters, listen to people in front of you to avoid re-asking the same questions.
“The first impression is critical,” McCarthy said.
The best way to approach a recruiter, McCarthy said, is with a “30-second commercial, like an elevator speech.”
State your name, class year, major and career interest, and explain why you stopped at that particular table, he said. Show enthusiasm and inquire about the next step in the process. If possible, try to get a business card.
— Be positive.
“It’s natural to be nervous in this process,” McCarthy added. “Tap into it and get excited and move forward.”
What not to do …
— Ask inappropriate questions.
— Say you’ll take any job.
— Discuss salary.
— Monopolize the line.
For students sending out resumes for employment, McCarthy said to spend some time every day looking and to “have some sort of goal for sending out resumes.”
“Persist, persist, persist,” he added.
Yue Yin, a graduate economics student who plans to attend the Fair, said she is nervous.
“I study econ and now the economic situation is bad, so it’s more difficult to find a job for my major than before,” she said.
However, Ketan Savale, a graduate student studying industrial engineering, said he believes there will be more internships available this year.
“It’s cheaper for them [employers] than hiring for full-time jobs,” he said.