Spring Break
Workshops to promote student-employer rapport
Events leading up to March 5 job fair
Bob Meredith, Daily Staff Writer
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The SJSU career event is being held in the Event Center from 11:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, March 5.
On Monday Feb. 24, there is resume and cover letter critique from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. with employers and alumni advising students. Additional workshops are being held Tuesday Feb. 25 through Friday Feb. 28 covering job search strategies.
Margaret Wilkes, SJSU Job Fair coordinator, said each session is 45 minutes long.
"This is the most diverse group of employers we've seen," Wilkes said. "I think this speaks to the quality of students, candidates and alumni representing SJSU."
Wilkes said the purpose of the career event is to allow students to interact with employers. She said there are 104 companies scheduled to attend, and that this is a prime occasion to successfully market student's abilities.
"The economy is tight, and you must target employers," Wilkes said. "Students can make their encounters pleasant by knowing the employers."
But, there are repeated mistakes committed by students before and during career fairs, said employers that will be represented at the career fair.
"I find that not knowing anything about the company is a common error," said Gary Vecchiarelli, a staff accountant with the public accounting firm, Crawford, Pimentel and Co., Inc. "You must know something about the industry and the company before looking for a job at a career fair."
Wilkes said an updated list of the companies scheduled to be at the event could be found on the Career Center Web site.
Employment Specialist Miguel Lozano of EMQ Children and Family Services said that many skills are omitted from resumes. Students may have more job skills than realized, Lozano said.
EMQ Children and Family Services is a nonprofit organization providing children's mental health and social services in Northern California.
"The people we are looking for can be from the business, computer and sociology fields," Lozano said. "In many cases experience is not listed on the resume. This happens over and over again. Students sometimes believe their experience may not be marketable."
Lozano said that including additional experience on the resume may open doors to jobs and a career path.
"A lot of people go to school and don't do anything while in school," Lozano said. "Students should work or do an internship to gain experience. Get experience while getting educated."
Lozano said employers are looking for experience and a degree, so students should compliment a degree with background.
"We see 600 to 800 resumes per month," Lozano said. "Experience does count."
Lozano said it is imperative that a candidate has skills in psychology and sociology. But in many cases, actual work experience is not listed on the resume, he said.
Qualities employers desire in a candidate vary by industry, and some firms might be searching for a candidate with less experience, Vecchiarelli said.
"Communication abilities and a desire to learn are priorities for us," Vecchiarelli said. "Technical ability with interest is looked at because we cannot expect graduates to be well versed in the tax code. We want well-rounded people."
Vecchiarelli, who is an SJSU alumnus, said students should have a general career path idea by their junior or senior year.
"Students should ask detailed questions at career fairs," Vecciarelli said. "If not, this shows me that a candidate is not prepared."
Students should be able to narrow a career search to specific companies or industries with research, Vecciarelli said.
Vecciarelli said students should start a career search during their freshman and sophomore years and that visiting recruiters at career fairs can help direct a career path.
"Stop and talk to recruiters at job fairs," Vecchiarelli said. "But do your research on companies and ask detailed questions."
Wilkes said the career fair is an opportunity to meet with employers and attending the event is not sufficient in itself.
"For those career seekers and planners, professional attire and targeted resumes are recommended," Wilkes said. "But for job explorers, just yourself and a lot of questions will suffice."
Wilkes said SJSU alumni attending the event can be recognized by their wearing a blue ribbon and said students are encouraged to introduce themselves.
Vecciarelli said inquiries about the workday, the environment, even about the recruiter's usual day shows interest in the company or industry.
"Seniors and juniors usually attend early," Vecchiarelli said. "So a good time for all students to stop and ask detailed questions is later in the day, near the end of the fair."
"We are looking for someone who is willing to grow with us," Vecchiarelli said. "We want to invest in someone and for someone to invest in us."
The importance of properly preparing for a career event cannot be overstated, employers say.
"The career fair is a student's one-minute commercial," Wilkes said.
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