(Posted February 21, 2013)

Juniata Career Services will be hosting its annual Career Day on Friday, Feb. 22. As in past years, students will have an opportunity to meet with a multitude of employers. Darwin Kysor of Career Services offered some helpful information and advice.

Q: What is Career Day?

A: Career Day is an event that brings together employers and students -- "many of whom are soon to be alumni -- in a single place, on a single day, to really talk about employment opportunities. It doesn't necessarily have to be a soon-to-be alum looking for a full-time job. It can be undergraduate students looking for internships. The idea is to help them to make connections to really enable students to enhance their professional development.

Q: What employers will be there?

A: As of today (Feb. 13) I think there are 96 employers, pretty much encompassing every POE that we have on campus. If you're studying history, you have options. If you're studying business, you have options; sciences, you name it. We have over 10 Fortune 500 companies that will be coming this year. We also have some smaller local organizations. One of the things we try to emphasize for employers is to focus on skills. Even though they (an employer) may be looking for a finance student, we ask them to give a list of three skills that they seek in candidates. A student may not be a finance POE, but they can still make a connection with an employer over those skills the employer is seeking.

Q: Why should students go to Career Day?

A: First off, there are students who find jobs and internships through the career fair, which is the ideal. But even if students don't get a job or internship through the career fair, they get a lot of practice professionally. They get a chance to network. Students often hear that the best way to get a job is through networking, but often they don't really know what that means or how to do it, so this is a real chance to practice it. Even if you don't get a position with one of the employers there, when you're in front of an employer somewhere else, you've had that practice presenting yourself.

Q: How should students prepare for Career Day?

A: They should definitely have an up-to-date resume, and they should have multiple copies of it. Dress is extremely important as well. You only have one opportunity to make a first impression.
We have a list on our website of all of the employers who are coming and what they're looking for, so you can check that ahead of time. We have links to the employers' websites so you can learn ahead of time about the employers.

More information about Career Day 2013 can be found here: http://www.juniata.edu/services/career/students/careerday2013/

- Kelsey Molseed '14, Juniata Online Journalist

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Contact April Feagley at feaglea@juniata.edu or (814) 641-3131 for more information.