Mega Job Fair comes to SECU

By: Cody Boteler, Senior Editor

Students will have the chance to mingle with over 200 prospective employers Wednesday as a part of the 2016 Spring Mega Job and Internship Fair.

The Career Center is bringing over 200 national and regional employers, including Continental Realty Corporation, the Maryland Zoo, OrderUp and the Peace Corps. to SECU Arena from noon-3 p.m.

In addition to meeting with potential employers, students can get one-on-one networking assistance, visit a photo booth for a professional photo to use on LinkedIn and get help perfecting their handshakes and “elevator pitches.”

According to a document from the Career Center, the “elevator pitch,” or “30-second commercial” is a “brief statement of what you consider yourself to have become at this stage of your life.”

The Career Center recommends using your “elevator pitch” in response to being asked to tell someone about yourself. Some key items to include, according to the Career Center, are how much experience you have in the field, what kind of experience that is, some key skills and a familiarity with industry jargon.

They also recommend dressing professionally— a clean, well-fitting, conservative and color-coordinated suit, for example. Men should wear dock socks, polished and dark-colored dress shoes, ties that aren’t too flashy, minimal jewelry, neatly groomed hair and no cologne, according to a document from the Career Center.

Women should wear business suits or “sophisticated” blouses without low necklines, according to the document.
They recommend light nail polish, light and non-daggling jewelry, and closed-toe pump shoes with low to moderate heals.

Everyone, according to the document, should avoid polo shirts, jeans, khakis, sundresses, sweatpants, leggings, exercise wear, T-shirts, sneakers and sandals.

They also recommend bringing at least 10 copies of your resume printed on high-quality paper, placed “neatly inside a portfolio or folder.”

Students can have their resumes reviewed at the Career Center, located in the 7800 York Road building, or at the Writing Center, located on the fifth floor of the College of Liberal Arts building.