Kent State’s Career Services Center hopes that an event tomorrow will help students soothe their post-graduation jitters.

The once-per-semester career and internship fair will be in the Student Center Ballroom from noon until 4 p.m., and organizers say the 91 participating employers offer potential job matches for every interest and major.

“This is the widest variety of organizations that we’ve had in years,” said Robin Piatt, assistant director of the Career Services Center. “I would challenge any student to come in, and I would think they could find an internship or a position in the area that they’re looking for.”

T-Mobile, Guess and Macy’s are among the recruiters making Kent State career fair debuts this semester. Several additional life insurance and technology companies have also signed up since April.

Regardless of which positions interest students, the key to success at job fairs is advance preparation, said Ami Hollis, a career services associate director. Knowing who employers are and what skills they are seeking will give applicants an advantage, she said.

“We always recommend that students research the organizations before they come,” she said. “Get on our Web site. Get on FlashForward. Narrow down the choices of who they want to talk to. Make sure they know a little bit about the organizations and what they’re hiring for.”

Hollis recommends that job seekers rehearse a 30-second “commercial” about their skills, work experience and education. She said recruiters are most impressed by presentations that are tailored to the specific jobs being offered.

Still, the goal of the event is to connect as many students as possible with possible employers, and superficial obstacles shouldn’t stand in the way, Hollis said.

“Don’t not come because you just found out about it,” she said. “Even if you’re in jeans and a sweatshirt, you want to come and just take a look around, grab some employer literature and let the employer know that you just found out about it. But do come and see what it’s all about.”

Piatt and Hollis offered other tips including:

• Bring multiple copies of well-edited resumes.

• Dress for success. Ideally, serious job-seekers should wear conservative business suits and minimal jewelry.

• Consider the widest possible universe of employers. Hollis said one English major left a previous career fair with a technical writing internship at an area hospital.

• Practice interview techniques in advance. Formal sessions are available through the Career Services Center, and even casual sessions with friends can help.

• Register for the official university job search site, FlashForward, to ease possible follow-up contact with employers. The link to that site is available at career.kent.edu.

Contact public affairs reporter Adam Milasincic at [email protected].