The Career Center is pleased to connect Illinois State students and alumni with employers at its annual spring career fairs. Recruiters from all industries, including Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and others will be attending to recruit Illinois State talent for their open positions.

Illinois State’s spring fairs will be held at the Bone Student Center and include:

  • Spring Internship Fair, Tuesday, February 4, connects employers seeking candidates to fill their internship positions.
  • Spring Career Fair, Tuesday, February 18, connects employers with Illinois State students and alumni from all majors seeking full-time positions.
  • Education Career Fair, Tuesday, March 3, connects school administrators, superintendents, and other employers from the field of education seeking to hire candidates in education and related fields for open positions.

Just before the fairs

To help attendees prepare, the Career Center is hosting InstaCareer, a career preparation session in which participants rotate through various stations to learn first-hand from recruiters how to introduce themselves well to employers, how to make a good first impression, how to dress appropriately, and how to best research and follow-up with employers after career events.

Two sessions will be held for students on January 30 and February 12 from 4–6 p.m. in the Bone Student Center. Sessions will have different presenters but will cover the same information to all attendees.

Students seeking employment at the Education Career Fair are invited to attend Hiring Tips for the Education Industry on March 2. Attendees will learn from a panel of school administrators what sets applicants apart when reviewing resumes and cover letters, general expectations of them at career fairs, how to complete online applications, and how the districts manage job offers. All class standings and content areas are encouraged to attend.

Fair preparation resources

In addition to the fair preparation events, the Career Center also provides a number of other resources to help students and alumni to prepare for connecting with employers.

  • Career Resource Guide – a booklet filled with helpful tips and advice such as how to construct an effective resume/CV and cover letter, commonly asked interview questions,and more.
  • Drop-in hours and Late-night Resume Reviews – available for quick feedback or helpful tips from trained Career Center representatives.
  • Career fair video – watch a video from an Illinois State career fair that displays what a fair is like and useful tips when attending.
  • Symplicity Jobs and Careers app – use the free app to explore what employers are attending the fair to identify which you most want to meet, to research their organization, or just to let them know you will be stopping by to meet them.
  • Resume paper and printing, and business cards are also available for free to current Illinois State students to help them put their best foot forward at the fair.
  • Social media – join the Career Center on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for fair updates and helpful preparation tips.

For more information or to request special accommodations, contact the Career Center.