What is a Career Fair?

What is a Career Fair and Why Should I Go?

Good question, and we know some of you are thinking it. While the words “career fair” are thrown around in our office with great frequency, we realize that students may not truly know what a career fair is. So, consider this Career Fair 101 regarding our Spring Career and Internship Fair, happening on Wednesday March 13th from 11-2 in the Mack Arena.

A career fair is a gathering of companies that are looking to hire students for full-time, part-time or internship positions. If a company is at the fair, chances are they are actively looking to fill these roles, although they may have varying timelines. For example, some hiring needs may be immediate, while some may be for the following academic year or summer. So, no matter when you graduate, chances are you will find employers who fit your time table.

Not looking for any position at the moment? Coming to a career fair is still a great idea so that you can walk around and know what to expect when you are ready to search for an internship or job. Walking into a room of over 130 employers can be intimidating, so doing a practice run is a great idea!

Here are some frequently asked questions about our career fairs:
What should I wear?
Wear your professional best! Come in business attire. If you are not sure what that means, we can help!

Is the fair only for business majors?
NOPE! Employers attending the fair will be representing a wide variety of industries, including engineering, education, health care, not-for-profit, and may others!

What employers are coming?
You can find the list on Handshake. Review this list prior to the fair, and identify your top preferences. Research those companies so that you know who they are and what they do. Don’t just look at the company name, but review the jobs that they are seeking to fill. If you are a marketing major, don’t necessarily skip over a non-profit organization, as the organization may be looking for interns to market their services to the community.

Should I bring resumes?
Yes, and plenty of them. It’s a good idea to have your resume looked over by The Career Center prior to the fair. Students can get a quick resume review during our Quick Question drop in hours, which are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:30-4:30 and Wednesdays from 11-1, no appointment necessary!

Should I bring cover letters?
Nope, not necessary.

Should I follow-up with employers?
Yes, take a business card from the representatives and make notes on the back with anything relevant that they told you. Send them a thank-you email for taking their time to attend the fair, and attach your resume, even though you may have given them a hard copy at the fair. Don’t be disheartened if you do not receive a reply. Recruiters attend many fairs and meet many students, but taking the time to follow-up with them shows your interest.

Have any more questions? We are here to help! Give us a call at 516-463-6060 or email us at careercenter@hofstra.edu. See you at the fair!

Darlene Johnson
Director of External Relations

The Journey of a Liberal Arts Major

It is my first time writing a blog post about my life and journey from beginning in 2015 as a lonely, nearly child-like human to a fully-fledged college student preparing to enter the great beyond of adulthood. I must say the experience was something of unusual twists and turns, backwards and forwards and overall wildness. I began my life as a young eighteen year old, enamored with the bright lights of New York. When Hofstra reached out to me about their university, all I saw was the city they were in. New York. I immediately knew this was where I was meant to be, with the never-ending nightlife, cold weather and places like the Brooklyn Bridge or Central Park. When the decision came to apply, I wondered if it were better for me to go in undecided or with a particular major in mind. All my college counselors said going in undecided made it look like you had no clear idea of what you wanted to do so it would be best to choose a major and change it later. Not knowing the hole they and I had dug for myself, I chose Forensic Sciences. 

Sight unseen, I accepted Hofstra’s offer and the time came when I was to go to orientation. I had this idea that I would meet a group of friends within my group and we would be best friends for all of college; this definitely did not happen. I remember

stepping onto campus after a six-hour flight and feeling like this could become my home. Fast forward to the first days of Welcome Week and class, I realized that perhaps this was not the life for me. Between parties, cliques and a hellish biology class, it left me questioning my maturity and ability to cope with being so far from home. I suffered through my first semester and immediately knew that no way could I continue with two more semesters of biology, just to get to chemistry and finally, forensics. I completely switched everything and began my life within the Liberal Arts major. With the added stress of disappointing my parents, loosing my scholarship due to a D in biology, second semester was no better. I took political science classes, which confused me, and photography, which slowly became my passion. I then knew that I needed to go back to my roots and love for history.

Summer came and I questioned my passions and my life. I got a job in a bakery which I loved (I mean, free and unlimited pastries and coffee? Who would not love that?). I knew I needed to go back to Hofstra because a life at home and community college did not fit me. So instead of suffering through more political science classes, I switched to history and found my love for all things, old and new. From ancient texts to analyzing trash to researching the effects of the year 1968, I knew this was it for me. I shocked my family with my decision to go towards history but they were receptive and proud of my growth thus far. Now, I had a clear path set in front of me and with the help of a wonderful professor, I realized my future had so many options and paths for me to find, try and love or hate. It was like jumping off a cliff into an unknown; scary but exciting and thus, began my career in the Liberal Arts which landed me a job offer with AmeriCorps, connecting the past to the future. 

Written by Emma Kern

Bringing Your A-Game: Second Semester and Beyond

As the winter break comes to an end, it is easy to find difficulty in getting back into the swing of things. You are halfway there and can almost feel that sweet, summer break at your fingertips. The finish line may be in sight, but you have some responsibilities to see through before you can start basking in the sun. There are a number of great habits that you can develop now that will help get you through the home stretch. The habits outlined below can help you bring your A-game throughout your academic endeavors.

1. Prepare the night before- the simplest tasks can prove to be grueling in the morning. Take time at night to pack your backpack and meal prep your lunches. Having your daily necessities already accounted for will help you sleep easy (a full 8 hours, of course!)
2. Show up early- with all the time you’re saving by prepping for your day the night before, do your best to show up to class a little earlier than normal. This extra time will give you a chance to settle in while also making a good impression on your professors. Developing this habit will also prove to be useful in the workplace, especially when you’re gunning for that promotion!
3. Prioritize- as a college student, there is no doubt that you have a ton of different responsibilities that you must tend to on a regular basis. Plan out your days and determine the tasks that deserve your undivided attention from the very start. Mastering the prioritizing skill set will prove to be essential in the workplace as well. Assess what is truly essential and what can be saved for a future time slot.
4. Ask Questions- there is NO SUCH THING as a dumb question. In fact, asking questions is how new ideas come to be, some of which can spark the foundation of clubs, organizations, and even new committees at work. Inquisitiveness and creativity go hand-in-hand, so you never know what could come of your questioning!

These 4 awesome tips are sure to help you achieve success during this upcoming spring semester. In fact, developing these habits now will also set you up for success as you enter the workforce as a professional! From meal prep to prioritization, your future starts now! ALWAYS bring your A-game!

Sabrina Iaria

Career Advisor

The Career Center

 

Five Reasons to Join the Peace Corps After Graduation

Five Reasons to Join the Peace Corps After Graduation

As you cross holiday shopping off your list, this is also the season to help others by giving your time and energy to make a difference. I recently met Teckla Persons, a Peace Corps recruiter, and she shared some great service opportunities for motivated changemakers to immerse themselves in a community abroad, working side by side with local leaders to tackle the most pressing challenges of our generation. So as you think about wrapping up the semester, whether a December gradauate or upcoming May graduate, consider these five reasons Teckla shares below to join the Peace Corps after graduation. 

Wishing you happy holidays!

Hofstra Career Center and Jennifer Fragleasso, External Relations Coordinator

Five Reasons to Join the Peace Corps After Graduation

Serving in the Peace Corps is a unique opportunity to help a community overseas and build lasting relationships. It is also a way to launch your career and further your educational goals. This year, there are five alumni from Hofstra serving in Indonesia, Lesotho, Morocco, Senegal, and Tonga. Could you be next to join the more than 182 alumni who have already served?

 If you are considering joining the Peace Corps after graduation, here are 5 ways that you can expect to benefit:

1)    Make an impact in a community that needs someone with your skills. 

Peace Corps has open volunteer positions in more than 60 countries each year, and each of those positions has been requested by a community that identified a project that would benefit from the volunteer’s involvement. Do you have an interest in working with youth and experience with tutoring? Education is the program area that has the largest request for volunteers worldwide, and there are education positionsavailable to applicants from a wide variety of educational and professional backgrounds. If you have a green thumb, or small business experience, or a passion for community health outreach, we have plenty of opportunitiesfor you as well. Learn more about how your skills might fit a community’s needs by reading about What Volunteers Do. 

2)    Boost your resume with language and technical training. 

Once you arrive in your country of service, there are several months of training with other new volunteers before you move to your host community and begin working. Peace Corps training is intense: you learn a local language, technical skills for your new job, cultural norms to help you fit into your new community, and health and safety information. Trainees typically live with host families, so you will have the chance to start making local friends right away. And after pre-service training has ended and you begin service, there are opportunities to continue your professional development through in-service training and ongoing support from Peace Corps staff. Learn more about our training HERE. 

3)    Reduce your student loans.

Student loans do not have to prevent you from serving in the Peace Corps – in fact, service can make you eligible for deferment, partial cancellation, income-based repayment, or loan forgiveness.  Peace Corps service is also considered qualifying employment for the Department of Education’s Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which forgives the remainder of certain federal loans after 120 monthly payments are made under a qualifying repayment plan. Under a qualifying repayment plan, your payments could be $0 per month while volunteering. 

Benefits depend on the type of loans you have, so visit our websiteto learn how to get specific information.

4)    Get help paying for graduate school after service. 

If you are planning to go to graduate school and trying to decide whether to serve in the Peace Corps or apply right away, consider this: our Coverdell Fellows program offers graduate financial aid to returned Peace Corps volunteers, including tuition reduction, full scholarships, stipends and assistantships at over 120 participating universities around the country. In addition, as a Coverdell Fellow you will have the opportunity to build on the skills you learned as a volunteer and continue your service through internships in underserved communities. Learn more about the Coverdell Fellows program and see a list of participating schools HERE.

5)    Form lifelong friendships. 

If you ask returned volunteers about the best part of service, many will mention the close relationships they formed with host families, coworkers, students, and friends in the community. Peace Corps service lasts 27 months, but the friendships that are formed can last a lifetime. Visit the stories sectionof the Peace Corps website to read first-hand accounts from volunteers. . If you are interested in learning more about one volunteer’s bond with her host family, take a look at Clarice’s story. To gain insight into the support network that evolves between volunteers, check out this storyabout three women who grew close during their service after learning that they had all been members of the same sorority. And if you want read more about the relationship between volunteers and community members from the perspective of a local teacher who co-teaches with Peace Corps volunteers, check out Isabel’s story. 

To learn more about the benefits of service, or to find out what opportunities are available for you in the Peace Corps, join us at an upcoming event, or contact recruiter Teckla Persons at tpersons@peacecorps.gov. 

Thanks for Giving Me the Opportunity (to interview)

The leaves are falling, pumpkin spice flavors are everywhere and people are planning their holiday menus. You know what this means: Thanksgiving is right around the corner! Like you, I am looking forward to a break and the opportunity to connect with friends and family over a good meal. As I reflect on this past year, I am thankful to be working here at Hofstra and that you are reading this blog post. What are you thankful for?

Around this time last year I was finishing up interviewing for my current position and navigating how to return to work with a three-month old baby at home (and throwing in starting a new job!) As I left campus last fall, the gratitude was pouring out of me. On my drive home I was already thinking about what to write in my thank you emails to the people I met that day. 

At this point in this blog post you are probably thinking “Thank you notes after an interview? What is this lady talking about?” In the past few weeks the topic of post-interview thank you notes has come up quite often in the Career Center. One such example: after participating in our Escape the Career Center contest where a clue referred to thank you notes after an interview, a student told me that “I didn’t know you were supposed to write a thank you note after an interview.” 

Yes, you are supposed to write a thank you note after an interview. Why, you ask? Let’s check in with another Liz, Forbes contributor Liz Ryan, and two short articles with some great, quick videos on the importance of writing thank you notes and how to make yours stand out.

After the Interview – Send the Perfect Thank you note

How to Write the Perfect Post Interview Thank you note

Sending a thank you note should not only be after an interview - write one any time you connect with a professional in an industry or job of interest. Examples include: after a career fair, networking event or professional panel. Networking and building connections is the #1 way to get a job or internship. Make sure you are remembered by following up, and do so in a prompt manner (within 24 hours). 

Hopefully after reading this you are ‘thankful’ for these tips on showing your gratitude to a prospective employer or networking connection by writing a thank you note. You don’t want to be the favorite candidate, but the one who didn’t follow-up. Thanks for reading!

Liz Sposato, Senior Associate Director of Career Development and Assessment

Career Center Success!

This past Wednesday, the Career Center hosted its Communication Career and Internship Fair in collaboration with the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication. The Fair was a great success, as we had the largest turnout ever for this Fair. Approximately 250 students attended the Fair and met with more than 20 employers in the field of communications. Employers in attendance included WABC-TV, Newsday, NBCUniversal, Fox News, Canon, and CBS News, just to name a few! The turnout was amazing! Here are what some had to say in response to the Fair…

“It was nice to be able to see a lot of well-known and prestigious companies come to our campus to meet the students."
-Jesse Lindell ’21, Journalism Major

“Watching our students interact with employers and advocate for themselves is what makes all the time spent planning and coordinating worth it; getting the chance to witness the very beginning of what could be life-changing conversations is exactly why I love coming to work every day. The feedback that I’m getting from our company representatives was that students were prepared, enthusiastic, and eager – and that’s exactly why they love coming to recruit at Hofstra!”

-Amy Smith, Associate Director of External Relations, The Career Center 

“The student turnout and enthusiasm at the fair were fantastic!  Students looked professional in their business attire and they came prepared with their “elevator” pitch and copies of their resume.  Many said that researching the companies coming to the fair in advance helped make talking to employers easier.  Now that the fair is over students can enhance the positive impression, they made by sending employers a brief “Thank You” email and including a reference to something specific they discussed."
-Lisa Kornberg, Career Advisor and Liaison to the Lawrence Herbert School of Communication, The Career Center 

Thank you to all who helped with and attended the Communication Career and Internship Fair! We could not have achieved these levels of success without the generous support we receive! 

The Career Center has one final career fair for the Fall 2018 semester! The Engineering and Computer Science Career Fair will be held Wednesday, November 14^th, from 11am-2pm in HofstraUSA. Students from all majors are welcomed and encouraged to attend! See you at the Fair! 

Best, 

The Career Center Team