The Pacer

Issue date: 3/6/07 Section: Campus News

Media Credit: Holly Perry

Career Day proved to be a smashing success last Thursday despite the wet weather drenching students as they made their way to the UC.

"Over 70 companies were registered to come today," said April Boals, administrative assistant in the Employment Information Center.

Boals estimated that 1,000 students came through the exhibits set up throughout the hallways in the UC.

The diverse group of employers included Dell, the U.S. Navy, Kroger, Thunderbolt Broadcasting, Humboldt schools, and many medical institutions.

"Our job is to primarily help people get jobs, and we're interested in recruiting college students so they can get jobs. We have training classes to help out students," said Helen Cooley, a program specialist from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development has a Web site designed to help students figure out future pathways in careers. At www.tennessee.gov/labor-wfd/source, students can even explore the "supply and demand" of their desired job from the Web site.

The site is designed to help narrow choices by giving a list of occupations in which a student may be interested based on the type of work a student likes, the pay level desired, and the education or training needed to succeed.

The race is on for enviable jobs within the campus, with seniors graduating in a few short months.

As the interviews get more selective, here are a few tips from the Indiana Department of Workforce Development that may give interviewees an edge: Always be well-informed about the company. Research the employer's Web site or check with the Chamber of Commerce in the town in which the company is located.

Make sure the first impression is not a poor one! Dress well and avoid wearing anything that will take the focus off of a sparkling résumé. Shake the hand of the interviewer and make eye contact.

Do not lie about anything in the interview. You do not want to be fired a week into the job when an employer finds out you overstated details on your application.

Be sure to ask questions about the job for which you are being interviewed since the employer will want to see that you are enthusiastic about the position.

Avoid questions about vacations, insurance, or other benefits during a first interview.

Focus on your strengths. If you have weaknesses in important areas of the job, reassure the interviewer you will be more than happy to work on that particular skill.

Do not negatively discuss former employers.

A thank-you note to the interviewer can go a long way: send one immediately after the interview. You can thank him once again for the opportunity and re-state your interest in the job.

While Career Day was a great success, the Employment Information Center in the UC is available to help those students who were unable to attend. Armed with this information, UTM seniors are about to take the work force in the same way they attended Career Day - by storm.

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