On Thursday, Sept. 23, Career Fair 2010 will offer students and alumni an opportunity to meet one-on-one with recruiters and hiring managers from over 125 local organizations.

Juniors and seniors looking for post-graduation jobs are highly encouraged to attend, as this will be a rare occasion where employers can associate faces and first impressions with student resumes.

According to Director of Career Services Ken Ridgedell, the Internet has become the new traditional way to find a job. And while online search-engines can produce many results, the process can be both time-consuming for job seekers and impersonal for recruiters.

“There is no way to meet face-to-face and connect with employers,” said Ridgedell. “While it may feel foreign and intimidating to meet with employers personally, if your ultimate goal is to find a job, you will have to talk to someone eventually.”

The office of Career Services works hard every year to get organizations to participate in their Career Fair. Ridgedell explained that over the past several months, his office has made telephone calls and sent mail pieces and formal letters of invitation to hundreds of local employers.

“People have no idea how much work goes into getting 125 employers to attend Career Fair,” said Ridgedell.

This year’s event will be held at the Claude B. Pennington Student Activity Center from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. According to the Career Fair website, www.selu.edu/careerfairinfo, Lion Traxx will have a temporary shuttle stop for student convenience that will run from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m next to the Student Activity Center.

“Over 50 organizations are interested in hiring all majors, so there is something at Career Fair for everyone,” said Ridgedell.

While Career Fair is intended for upperclass students and Southeastern alumni, freshmen and sophomores are also invited to attend, as some organizations will be looking to hire students for part-time positions and internships.

Those who are serious about meeting with employers should know that preparing for this event is the key to their success at Career Fair 2010. Ridgedell explained that the Career Fair information webpage, address listed above, has the entire run-down of everything students should know before attending.

“Everything is laid out; how to dress, sample resumes, how to start conversations, the do’s and don’ts for office parties and get-togethers…at Career Fair, students need to act professional and have their best foot forward,” said Ridgedell.

In preparing for Career Fair 2010, the office of Career Services hosted pre-fair events that included Emergency     Resume Clinics, where students could get a ten-minute review of their resumes, and Professional Presence & Business Etiquette Seminars: Putting the Pieces   Together, where students could learn how to interact effectively with employers.

While proper etiquette and professionalism are important to keep in mind at Career Fair, the follow-up is equally important in establishing relationships with employers. To maintain communication, the Career Services guide for juniors, seniors and graduate students suggests writing thank-you letters to all recruiters met at the event.

Faculty members are also encouraged to attend Career Fair 2010, shake employers’ hands, thank them for coming and talk with them to see what they are looking for in employees. In this way, faculty will be able to better prepare their students for the job world.

For any questions concerning this event, please visit the Career Services website at www.selu.edu/career, or contact their office at (985) 549-2121.