Margie Baxter at the 2015 Career Fair

Walking into the MAAC Gymnasium with my nude flats and straight leg dress pants I began to panic. Looking forward I could see the three rows of back-to-back businesses, corporations, news stations, and graduate schools. As I clipped on my nametag I took a deep breath and began to walk forward into the great abyss of the career fair.

Resumes in hand I approached a familiar company by whom I am already employed as a hostess at one of their local bistros. I began to converse with one of the representatives of Mazzone Hospitality. Unsure of what it was exactly that I wanted to find out or wanted him to know about me, I stood there in front of him, my mind running with things to say.

I remembered how at a networking event I had once attended I learned how to articulate a so-called “elevator speech.” A quick speech introducing yourself, your major, your estimated year of graduation, any experiences you have had, let it be an internship or volunteer work in your field, and perhaps what you plan to do with your degree in a non-begging-them-to-give-you-a-job way.

Already having known the company and understanding their beliefs and expectations, I had more to talk about with the representatives than I had realized. I was lucky to have this connection, but it would help next year to research some of the companies/universities before attending the fair to show my interest and have questions lined up.

As I walked around talking to company after company I became more and more comfortable. As a liberal arts student I felt well prepared for the fair. While it is easily assumed that the fair is much more fitting for business students, many companies are looking for students who have learned how to think creatively and critically at the same time, students who can properly articulate themselves and have effective communication skills; all of which a liberal arts student is proficient in. I found that a lot of the positions that companies talked about were managerial or marketing, but a liberal arts student is just as much suited for that position as a business student. 

I walked out of the career fair learning three main things:

1. HAVE YOUR RESUME PREPARED! Go to the career center events to get your resume critiqued. Drop your resume off at the career center to have them edit it. Make sure it is flawless and really represents who you are and your accomplishments. If you pass out your resume to companies you showed interest in, it could be used for future reference!
2. RESEARCH BEFORE! Look into the companies. Find out what companies are coming to the fair, look into a handful of them, find out what their company stands for and if you are interested in it, think of some beneficial questions you could ask them. (Easiest question: What is your favorite part about working for this company?)
3. GO BEFORE SENIOR YEAR! Even if you are a freshman or sophomore still figuring out what to do with your life, go to the career fair for the experience. Going one time will give you more confidence for the next year. I promise you will learn something each time you go. So go! You never know what you’ll find. Then, when senior year comes around and you’re looking for a job/internship for after college, you will be prepared and already know what to expect.

Flazingo Photos
Resume – Glasses
Job Resume with Glasses

There are many key aspects to having the perfect resume. At the Career Center’s Resume Critique night, a real employer, Lauren A. Cataldo, critiqued my resume. I learned the seven main aspects an employer looks at when reading a resume.

Format

Always keep your resume organized. Break it up into sections of education, experience, skills, and extra curricular activities / interests. It is also very important to separate those categories with a long bold horizontal line for easier reading and navigation.

Appearance

Consistency is a huge must in resumes. The font and spacing need to be the same throughout the entire page. Your short explanations of the work you’ve done or the education you’ve received should be listed in bullet points or dashes. There should be a flow to the overall appearance of the resume. You also will want to have a heading that stands out next to others.

Name and Contact

All of the information needs to be relevant and in many situations, the employer will appreciate more if the information was geared towards the specific job you are applying for. No nicknames allowed! Only your full name is appropriate on this document. You should have a real mailing address and a professional e-mail address. Finally, leave a cell phone number only, no need for a home number or multiple numbers.

Education

This category should be the first or second section after your heading. In order starting from the present, list Siena as your primary education entry including your degree program and graduation year. Follow with your high school and years of enrollment.

Experience

Your experience section should be in order of most recent assignment. It is important to list not only the name but the location of the organization as well. This section is a big conversation starter if you have something in common with the employer reading your resume. Dates of experience are also very important because the employer wants to see how long you last in certain situations. Underneath the name of the organization should be bulleted statements starting with action verbs and describing the student experience. These statements should be brief and should not be repetitive.

Additional Relevant Section

You should include your skills such as computer programs and social medias and interpersonal skills. More important aspects are coursework, foreign language, community service, extracurricular activities/ leadership, honors/awards, and athletics. All of which should be detailed.

Grammar

This final category is a lot more important than you may think. Correct spelling, capitalization, and verb tense consistency show your attention to detail and that took the time to read over your resume more than once.

If you have all of these aspects of your resume complete, then you are on the right track to impressing a future employer! Best of luck!

Will Marlow
Stage Fright [EXPLORE]

Allison Schultz, the Assistant Dean of Liberal Arts, Ashley Dwyer, the Assistant Director for Employer Relations, and Melissa Potocki the head of Hennepin Hall lead the discussion in the Saracen Student Union. Behind the long table in the front of the room sat myself and four other Siena Students between junior and senior year who currently, or who have in the past, held an internship or shadowed an impactful role model.

This time around I was able to be the one to answer the questions of how to get an internship, the benefits of having an internship, how to make the most of your internship and information about networking and maintaining relations.

This panel was a reality of how much I have actually learned since being an intern. The skills I have gained in this internship are far more than I had bargained for. Signing up for an internship titled “Internship in English,” I had not expected all of the technologic work I would be doing. Also, I would have never expected that I would be doing so much public speaking!

Internships are valuable for many reasons, one reasons being you have the ability to share your experiences with others. Next semester I would highly recommend signing up to be a panelist at the Student Internship Panel of Fall 2015!