CAREERDespite a job market that is suffering

from rumors of a recession and anapparent gloomy economic picture inthe near [uiure, college career days andjob fairs appear to still serve their pri-mary purpose: lo provide an opportuni-ty for employers and joh seekers h'exchange ideas and information ahoiiitheir mutual interests. By taking on theappearance of a "trade show." thesecareer events can be a valuable source o Icareer and job information for the dili-gent seeker

It is important for you, the seeker, tolearn ihe differences between careerdays and joh fairs, how to prepare bydeveloping a checklist of things to dobefore, during and ai\cr ihc event, andhow to maximize your time whileattending the evenl.

First, to distinguish between thetwo: Career days are informal func-tions whereby employers come pre-¡lared to present their organizationsand the employment/career opportu-nities they offer, while students come10 browse and gather printed informa-tion provided by the employers.Interaction between employer repre-sentatives and students is usually brief,and may be conducted among smallgroups of students who happen to bein close proximity to the employer atany given time.

Job fairs are more formal eventswhereby individual students willapproach employers for a brief one-on-one initial screening interview. Tbe can-didate is usually seated, and is preparedto answer a series of questions to helpthe employer determine the candidate'squalifications.

Attending a career day or a job fair willmake more sense to you if you can clear-ly state why you are going to begin with.Two of the best reasons are 1) to learn

By William M.Carson, Sr.

more about employers who will hire youwhen you gradúale, and 2) to make con-tact with employers to arrange for on-the-spot or future interviews for intern-ship, co-op or career employment.

On the other hand, the worst reasonto go is because attendance is mandato-ry for one of your classes. If you arerequired to attend as a class assignment,tum the assignment into one of the rea-sons listed above. After all, for most col-lege students, the primary objective forattending college in the first place is tolind meaningful, lucrative employmentafter graduation.

Find out who's coming and make alisi of employers you already knowyou want to talk to

Make another list of employers thatyou've never heard of but whohire people to do what you wantto do

Visit the websites of all theemployers on both lists. Look forlistings of internships or jobs andmake notes of questions that youwant to get answered. Your ques-tions will be determined by yourgoal for attending (career explo-ration vs. ¡ob search).

Have a plan, even if your plan is tooniy explore. Your approach will bedifferent depending on your objec-tive. If you've researched the organi-zations in advance, you will feel morecomfortable in approaching the rep-resentatives because you are alreadysomewhat familiar with them.

28 THE BLACK COLLEGIAN I www,Wackcollegan.com j FIRST SEMESTER SUPER ISSUE 2008

HOW TO WORK A CAREER FAIR

Develop one or more versions ofyour resume highlighting the skillsand abilities you want to market toemployers. By using the concept of"transferrable skills" you may beable to market yourself differentlyby placing your experience in head-ings like "Relevant Experience" and"Other Experience" where relevancerefers lo the career objective.

You will want to learn of the quali-ties they look for in college stu-dents/graduates, what specificcourses you should be taking toprepare you for a career with theirorganization, what's involved in theapplication process, and if there aredeadlines for the applications. Thisis particularly important if you areapplying for internship positions.You may have different questionsfor specific employers.

Develop and practice your "oneminute commercial" or "elevator

speech." This is a very short presen-tation that you use to introduceyourself to an employer and piqueiheir interest in what you have tooffer their organization.

' Acquire proper business attire. Youwill want to make a first impressionthat is positive.

Women: Wear a professional knee-length skirt suit in a conservativecolor, sheer hose, closed-toe andclosed-heel pumps in a dark leather(low heel is fine), minimal jewelry,no perfume, natural looking make-up, conservative and neat hairstyle.Pantsuits with polished dark leatherflats are acceptable although mostemployers still consider the tradi-tional knee-length skirt suit mostprofessional. Bring a purse or abriefcase (no backpacks). If youchoose a purse, do bring a folder orportfolio in which to keep yourresumes, etc.

Men; Wear professional suit in a con-servative dark color, dark shoes antidark socks, an ironed white or pastellong-sleeve button-down shirt, aconsei'vative tie, no cologne, no neck-laces/bracelets or earrings; conserva-tive hairstyle, no backpacks. Youshould also have a portfolio and apen to take notes and cany yourresumes. You will want to bring anample supply of resumes.

Take a few minutes to review the pro-gram booklet or directory to confirmthat the employers you wani to see areactually present. Prioritize your list toinsure that you get to speak to your firstchoices.

Approach a representative and useyour one-minute commercial to intro-duce yourself. The goal is to connectyour background to the organization'sneed. Make sure that you have a firm but

When you start a dynamic career with Raytheon, you will join a company that's at the forefront of innovation. Every day 73,000employees help solve some of the most demanding challenges on the planet. We're looking for passionate, talented individuals todesign sophisticated systems and platforms that will redefine multiple industries. Be part of a diverse culture that has been recognizedas one of BusinessWeek magazine's "Best Places to Launch a Career." Help us build an amazing future witfi the next generation oftechnology.

www.rayjobs.com/campusRayiheon Company All ngfiis reserved Xustomer Success Is Our Misîion"

IS a registered trademark of Raytheon Company. Rayiheon is an equal opportunityand affirmative action empioyer and welcomes a wide diversity of applicants.U.S. citizenship may be required

RaytheonCustomer Success Is Our Mission

THE BLACK COLLEGIAN | www.blackcdiegian.com [ FIRST SEMESTER SUPEP

HOW TO WORK A CAREER FAIR

not bone-crushing handshake, and makedirect eye contact. Tell the employer yourfiill name, your classification and your careerplan. Although most employei-s arc accus-tomed to asking college smdents about theirmajor, they will be impressed to learn thatyou have a career plan and that you viewyour major as only one component of pur-suing your career goals. Remember yourfocus should be on gathering job and careerinformation and not on seeing how manysouvenirs and other giveaways )'ou can grabfrom employer displays.

Ask about specific opportunities for intern-ships or summer emplo>iTient, cspeciali>' ifyou've already teamed about them irom theirwebsite. Pay paiticular attention to applica-tion procedua^ and deadlines, and the typesof opportunities you might expect.

Hand out your resume if you can. Moreand more employee are requiring candicbtesto apply online and cut and paste or attachtheir njsumes. So don\ be disappointed if therepresentative does not accept youis. Makenote to adhere to whatever process is used tocollect resumes.

Make notes of all conversations, and getthe names and contact information foreveryone that you speak to. Colled busi-ness cards if possible, but making notes myour program booklet w\\\ make your fol-low up easier when the event is over.

Before you leave, check your lists tomake sure that you did not miss anyone.This is also the time to review your notesand jot down any details that you willneed to refer to during the next steps.

Within the next kvj days go through allof the information )'ou collected and prior-itize organizations according to your levelof interest. Send "thank you for comingand taking the time to talk to me" letters toyour top choices. Reiterate your interest inthese organizations and either send a copyof your resume, or state that youVe sub-muted your resume in accordance with theorganizations guidelines. Remind them ofany details of the conversation that you

think were im|X)nani. This is where yournotes from the previous day wilt definitelycome in handy

By alt means keep in touch v^ith employ-ers. Use the information you gathered toplan your iollow-up. inquire alxiut the pos-sibility of networking opportunities withalumni that may be employed in the organ-ization or with others who are working injobs related to your interests, "v^

William M.Carson. Sr, isdirector of theCenter for Careernewlopman atMorgan StateL'niversiiy. He is aveteran career

development officer with more than 35years experience in fairer developmentand student personnel in higher educa-tion; he also has expertise in careerdcvetopment consulting, program evalu-ation, staj] development and training.

Role Model Profile: Kelvin MooreKelvin Moore believes that the way he can make a difference in his community is to positively impact as manylives as he can. As a principal electrical engineer at Raytheon Company, Kelvin has been involved in therecruiting efforts at his alma mater, Florida Atlantic University (FAtJ). He has served as a science fair judge, careerday speaker, math and science tutor, volunteer robotics coach, soccer coach, and mentor. "Being a campusrecruiter at Florida Atlantic University gives me an opportunity to work with professors in developing newcurriculum and to guide students in preparing for and participating in the interview process," says Moore.

As the robotics coach at Ereckson Middle School in Allen, Texas, Kelvin guided a team of seventy 12- and 13-year-old students to a 4th place victory in the Texas Boosting Engineering, Science and Technology (Texas BE5T)robotics competition. Texas BEST is a Raytheon Company-sponsored state championship robotics competition."It gave mea great sense of purpose when I saw those 12-and 13-year-old students enthusiastically apply mathand science concepts to design and compete a robot against 15-and 18-year-old high school students and comeout on top. This is why I do volunteer work," states Moore.

A semester before graduating with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, Kelvin joined the FAU ImagingSystem Lab. He contributed to the development of the first 1920 x 1080 progressive scan 60 frames per second

high-definition camera. "This was the most challenging project I have ever worked on. With very little references to consult, I had to create novelways to solve signal integrity and EMI issues in the video drive circuits," states Moore.

Kelvin joined Raytheon in 1998 and has used his class and work experience while working on designs such as infrared cameras, video processingcircuit cards, heads-up display processors, and the F-16 modular mission computers. His tasks frequently bring him in contact with his customersand often require him to travel to customer sites to support their efforts.

According to Moore, "The key to my success is being able to capitalize upon the opportunities Raytheon provides, being able to work in a teamingenvironment and not being afraid of taking on new challenges. In fact, you cannot afford to be complacent in the engineering field if you intend to besuccessful. You can work your entire career here at Raytheon and not run out of challenges. That speaks volumes of what to expect when working for acompany like Raytheon."

In 2006, Kelvin was recognized and nominated by Raytheon for the Black Engineer ofthe Year Award (BEYA) for Outstanding Technical Contribution. He says, "Although therecognition means a lot to me, there is no better reward than having parents tell youthat you have positively impacted their children's lives." Raytheon

Customer Success Is Our Mission

30 THE BLACK COLLEGIAN | www.WackcoHegian.cofn | FIRST SEMESTER SUPER ISSUE 2008