Career Services is hosting the following fairs this semester for students from all areas of study to help them identify career opportunities and connect with employers.
Fall Internship Fair
The Fall Internship Fair will be held on Wednesday, September 20 in the Bone Student Center, Brown Ballroom. Students connect with employers from a variety of organizations to learn about their organizations and their internship opportunities.
Fall Career Fair
The Fall Career Fair will be held on Tuesday, October 3, in the Bone Student Center, Brown Ballroom. During this fair, students and alumni connect with employers who are seeking candidates for their full-time positions.
Virtual Internship and Career Fair
The Virtual Internship and Career Fair, which will be held on Thursday, October 26, allows Redbirds to virtually connect with employers seeking to fill their internships or full-time positions.
“Career fairs are important for Redbirds to attend. They allow them a chance to practice networking and provide them the ability to meet and learn about many organizations, all in one place,” said Natalie R. Alexander, Career Services associate director.
Recruiters from all industries, including Fortune 500 companies, small businesses, nonprofit organizations, and others will be attending to recruit Illinois State talent for their open positions.
“These organizations not only represent a variety of industries, but they are looking for a variety of majors as well,” said Andee Radliff, Career Services assistant director. “We encourage Redbirds from all areas of interest to attend our career fairs to discuss options and opportunities, even with those employers who are not directly in their field. This allows them to explore careers and begin or expand their professional networks.”
Industry fairs
Career Services also partners with academic departments to provide fairs for specific industries or areas of interest. Industry-based fairs this fall include:
- Accounting Career Fair: Friday, September 15, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Health and Wellness Career Fair: Tuesday, October 24, 2-5 p.m.
- Education Carer Fair: Tuesday, October 31, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
- Social Impact Career Fair: Thursday, November 9, 2-5 p.m.
Fair preparation
To help Redbirds prepare for the fair, Career Services is hosting InstaCareer on September 13 and September 28 in the Bone Student Center. Employers from a variety of industries attend to provide practical tips about job searching to help Redbirds navigate the process with confidence and success. Participants rotate through various sessions on the basics of how to make a great first impression, research employers, incorporate skills and experiences into their pitch, and much more.
Additional tips to help Redbirds prepare for the career fairs include:
- Checking out the list of employers attending the fairs and selecting those you most want to meet. A list of organizations attending is available on the career fair websites and on Hire-A-Redbird. Be sure to visit their website to learn more about them and their open positions.
- Constructing an effective résumé and connect with Career Services during drop-in hours for feedback.
- Uploading your resume into Hire-A-Redbird so employers attending the event can access it.
- Connecting with your career advisor for assistance on how to describe yourself and answer other common employer questions.
Make a good first impression
To help students make a lasting impression, Career Services provides free business cards to distribute to employers when meeting them. Redbirds can also print their résumés on free résumé paper available through Career Services in the Career Resource Hub in the Bone Student Center.
Attend the fall career fairs to jumpstart your career goals and achieve career success!
