As students at Kent State prepare for the next step in their careers, whether through internships or their first post-graduation job, multiple college-specific career fairs throughout the spring semester provide valuable opportunities.
If people are interested in attending one of the upcoming career fairs, it is important to print out copies of one’s resume in advance. Ketaruh Kneuss, the assistant director of career exploration and development, emphasized that having resumes on hand allows people to distribute them directly to potential employers. People can also make an appointment with a career advisor online or attend a drop-in appointment.
“The biggest thing I always tell students about career fairs is that they don’t need to be scared,” Kneuss said. “The employers are looking for early talent, they want to meet you, so you’re kind of a celebrity in this situation. Career fairs are like recruiting events specifically for you.”
One of the first steps to getting a job according to Kneuss, whether it’s an internship or a post-graduate job, is a resume. Resumes build one’s professional profile, where employers can get a general idea of who students are.
“The resume’s job is to get you the interview, it’s not to get you the job,” Kneuss said.
Kneuss advised against using online resume templates from sites like Canva, suggesting instead that students follow the online content template available on the Kent State website.
Kneuss also urges that students keep their first-time or collegiate-level resumes to one page. At this stage in life, students should tailor the content on their resumes to highlight their skills, experiences and personal stories that make them stand out.
The next important step is to take on one or more interviews to get one’s feet in the water of the process.
The key part of having a successful interview is knowing how to land one, according to Oliver Wuensch, marketing and events coordinator for the City of Kent Parks and Recreation Department. Getting an interview takes a lot of work and commitment, and most importantly being in one’s self.
“Perseverance and patience,” Wuensch said. “Put yourself out there, don’t be afraid to make those emails to reach out, and follow through. The worst thing that’s going to happen is that they will ignore your email.”
Once students have an interview scheduled with an employer, they can take a few steps to enhance their interview experience. The first step recommended by Wuensch is the most important – don’t put on a false face in your interview.
Students can sand off some of the edges, but don’t change for the sake of the job and be yourself, Wuensch said.
Some Kent State students have already gone through the interview and internship process.
“People go into the interview process thinking it’s a super scary process,” Abby Dinger, a full-time student and Disney Parks’ representative said. “But it’s super laid-back and they want to get to know you as a person, know your personality, how you talk to people.”
Dinger said her interview experience was not quite what she expected – and for the better. She applied mainly to look for an internship and found a full-time job for herself after graduation.
“They’re very easy to talk to and they are rooting for you just as much as you’re rooting for them,” Dinger said. “They’re super accommodating.”
The internship process may be intimidating for some people, especially students. Kylie Kish, also a full-time student and Disney Parks’ representative, shared some points she feels other students should know beforehand.
“I feel with social media being so big, there are so many negative perceptions of people, and things get twisted, so I feel like the bad representation of interviews happens through social media,” Kish said. “I wish Kent State students didn’t see the negative parts so much because overall they tend to see the bad impression on social media and [overlook] the really good parts.”
Aside from having a resume prepared, there are other actions students can take to be further prepared for their interview.
“When it comes to interviews, you are allowed to bring in notes,” Wuensch said. “You can study, you can bring in and write notes, and reference them. It doesn’t have to be about the organization you’re interviewing for, it can be your qualifications and experience.”
Kish explained that attending employer events, such as career fairs, can provide many opportunities for students. There are a lot of tense people coming into the career fair with their elevator pitches, Kish said, but both employers and recruiters want to know students, not what students have practiced in their heads over and over.
Information about when and where these may be is on the Kent website under the calendar of events.
Amelia Sapienza is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].