Rutgers staff emphasize importance of summer jobs
This Friday will be a prime opportunity for students of all majors looking for a summer job or internship to connect with more than 160 employers if they have not found one already, said Melissa Blake, assistant director of marketing and public relations at University Career Services.
Rutgers University Career Services will host the “NJ Statewide Career & Internship Fair 2015” on Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Busch Campus at the Sonny Werblin Recreation Center.
The event anticipates more than 3,000 students and alumni, dressed professionally and networking to ascertain full-time, part-time job and internship opportunities from a wide variety of fields.
“A lot of the times, students are applying (to jobs) online, they’re trying to make connections and they’re really pushing hard, but they don’t always have direct access to people to make a first impression, so what is unique about the career fair is that it’s a perfect opportunity to get in front of employers, versus applying online and hoping (for) the best,” Blake said.
Until students make a connection and physically get in front of an employer, Blake said it is more difficult for students to make a significant impression on an employer when their name gets lost in a pile of resumes.
This year, Career Services has developed a mobile app in place of a traditional booklet for the fair, which can be accessed by visiting the fair’s website, Blake said.
Before going to the fair, Blake suggested students download the app and also visit the website to review a full list of employers that will be at the fair.
“Students should really go with an open mind, do their research before they get there (and) look at the positions that are going to be available,” she said. “It will really go a long way.”
Janet Jones, director of employer relations at University Career Services, said her advice for students would be to get to the event as early as possible, because hiring recruiters will start out more energetically, but may start to blur faces and resume information by the end of the five-hour fair.
“My recommendations would be to dress professionally," she said. "Bring copies of your resume, be prepared to introduce yourself in terms of what you’d like to do or what you’re considering doing and ... have a game plan."
Jones said she thought it is critical for students to gain professional experience before graduation.
If students can find an internship or a summer job that is related to their industry or field, even if it is not a formal internship, Jones said the experience will make a difference when employers review resumes.
“This gives you an opportunity to apply what you’re doing in school, build (a) resume and skills and leverage (your resume) when you’re looking for a full-time job,” she said.
William Jones, director of operations and strategic initiatives at University Career Services, highly recommended students look at the career fair as an opportunity to learn more about the interview process and about what jobs and internships are available right now.
For example, he said, if a student is nervous about interviewing while at the fair and they are standing in line trying to figure out what to say to the employer, it is good to listen in on what the employer is asking the person in front, and then prepare answers based off of that.
“That’s really the whole point of career fairs,” Blake said. “When else are you really going to have the opportunity to (visit) 150 employers directly on campus?”
