KSU job and internship fair comes early this year

Megan Corder

The Career Services Center wants students to prepare their resumes and cover letters in advance for its Spring Job and Internship Fair on Feb. 27 from noon to 4 p.m.

The fair, which is earlier than usual, will be on the second floor of the Kent State Student Center. The event will feature an estimated 120 employers.

Robin Pijor, assistant director of the Career Services Center, said the fair is traditionally in April, but it was moved up this year to allow employers and students more time for applications.

Quick Tips:

  • Don’t go in groups. You are trying to sell yourself, not your friends.
  • Spend time preparing your resume.
  • Put all relatable work experience on your resume.
  • Prepare an elevator pitch about yourself that explains your career goals and interests.
  • Do not ask a company what they can do for you. Tell them what you can do for them.
  • Research the job, employer and the company.
  • Employers at the Event: (A complete list can be found at the Career Services Website)

  • Apple, Inc.
  • Chico’s FAS, Inc.
  • FBI
  • Peace Corps
  • Progressive Insurance Companies
  • rue21
  • US Department of State
  • Wal-Mart

“We decided to take a chance and move it up,” Pijor said. “ If [students] are kind of thinking that the job fair is not coming up until April, we want them to know the [job fair] is coming up much sooner.”

Pijor said the event is open to any employer who has full time job and internship opportunities.

“It is not just for people who are ready to graduate and get a job; it’s for students who are looking for internships,” Pijor said.

To help students prepare for the event, the Career Services Center is hosting “Handshakes & Mistakes” workshops leading up to the fair. Ryan McNaughton, a career counselor, said the workshop is designed to help students get organized for the fair.

In addition to the workshop, the Career Center has marketed the event to a variety of potential employers, including the FBI, Enterprise Rental Car, Target and Children’s Hospital.

“Marketing is huge,” Pijor said. “We want to have a large number of employers, and to balance that out, a large number of candidates.”

Pijor said students should talk to more than one company at the event.

“I’ve told a student before, if Enterprise Rental Car is the one you are really thinking about, don’t go talk to them first,” Pijor said. “Talk to one or other two companies and you kind of get your nerves out of your system a bit.”

McNaughton said that students should research and prepare before the event.

“We highly encourage students to come in ahead of time and have their resumes looked at,” McNaughton said. “If they are not as comfortable in an interview setting, come in and have a mock interview. Preparedness is key. Anything we can do to have students ready, we are willing and able to do.”

No registration is required for the event. Students are expected to come prepared with copies of their resume, business casual attire and a writing utensil.

Contact Megan Corder at [email protected].