All posts by Theresa Afify

College to host STEAM Career Fair

Two students in business attire talk to a prospective employer at a career fair.
Events

The St. Petersburg College Career Services team is hosting a STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) Career Fair from 1–5 p.m. at the St. Petersburg/Gibbs Campus on Thursday, October 21. Attendees will have a chance to interact with more than 20 employers from around the Tampa Bay area. The event is open to the public as well as SPC students and alumni. 

Employers will be recruiting for part-time, full-time, internships, volunteer and seasonal workers. Even if you’re not in the market for a new job, this is a great event for networking with potential employers.

Prepare for the event

Young man in a dark blue suit talks to prospective employers at a career fair.

Join the Collegewide Career Team as they host a Career Boot Camp Series every Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. thru October 13. Topics include résumé review, mock interviews, setting a LinkedIn profile, and open hours to focus on all career-related topics.

To participate, make sure to register online and join virtually or visit one of the on-site workshops offered. If you are unable to attend the Boot Camp Series, then watch recordings of career services workshops related to résumés, LinkedIn, professional etiquette, etc.

Make your mark

Are you ready to meet your new boss? Here are a few tips for a successful job fair and to establish employer connections:

  • Dress for success.
    • When in doubt, dress conservatively.
    • Suits: Wear a neutral color conservative pant or skirt suit.
    • Shirts:  Button-down shirt with a collar that is white or light colored and free of wrinkles.
    • Ties:  Keep it simple and complementary to your suit.
    • Blouses: Stick to solid colors or simple patterns.
    • Shoes: Avoid flashy/bright colors. Wear brown or black dress shoes; match your shoes with your belt.
    • Make sure to use proper hygiene. Avoid overpowering perfumes or colognes.
  • Have multiple copies of your résumé ready to hand out.
  • Practice your elevator speech.

Next career fair coming in November

Join the SPC Career Services team for our next virtual career fair on November 3 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for additional employment opportunities. Register today online at stpe.co/spcvirtualfair2021.

Are you career fair ready?

Man wearing suit smiling
Career Exploration, Employment Preparation, Events, Featured

Tips to know before going to the Virtual Career and Internship Fair

SPC Career Services is hosting its first Virtual Career and Internship Fair on Wednesday, October 28 from 12 pm to 3 pm. Student registration will be opening soon.  Be sure to register early to connect with employers you want to pursue or learn more about. Employer sessions, group, and one-on-one, spaces are limited and available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Check back often new employers are being added daily.

Below are some general tips to help you navigate the virtual career and internship fair.

Before the Fair:

  • Know who will be there. Look over the list of attendees on Hire SPC Titans powered by Handshake and identify the organizations you are most interested in pursuing. Do some research on the companies and register for their group or one-on-one sessions during the fair. Prepare a list of questions to ask the employer. Check back often, new employers are added daily.
  • Have your elevator pitch ready.  On a drop of a dime, you should be able to describe yourself, your work history, and your intentions regarding employment with an organization. In addition, you should be able to describe specific experiences where you demonstrated your strengths; examples make you a stronger candidate. Practice your pitch with Career Services or a friend using a virtual platform such as Zoom or teams.
  • Have an up-to-date employer ready resume and a completed Hire SPC Titans profile. Make sure that it highlights your most marketable skills. Don’t wait until the last minute to schedule an appointment with a Career Services professional to review your résumé.
  • Prepare your space. Identify an area that is well-lit, quiet, and clean.
  • Test your equipment (computer, microphone, network connection, and webcam) and ensure it is working properly. Have a back-up plan.
  • Attend Career Services Events to help you prepare.

During the Fair:

  • Dress to impress. We encourage students to attend the career fair in business professional attire. 
  • Be cognizant of your body language. Make eye contact and smile when introducing yourself. Try not to fidget or look around when speaking or listening.
  • Speak with confidence and a pleasant tone. It is important to speak slowly and clearly. Be sure not to talk over the other person – give them time to finish asking or answering a question before speaking. Answer questions confidently and definitively.
  • Keep it short, but be prepared to chat.  If you are using the chat function during the virtual fair, keep it professional. Avoid using slang, emoticons, or acronyms (ex. LOL, UR) in your chats, and refer back to the questions you prepared before the fair. During a group session, give other students the chance to get their questions answered before asking additional questions.
  • Get contact information. Write down the representatives’ names that you want to talk to after the fair.  It’s also okay to ask about the hiring procedure/timeline; you want to make sure you’re doing it right.

After the Fair:

  • Follow up. Send a follow-up thank you letter or email along with your resume. Take advantage of this opportunity to reiterate how your skills and experience match their needs. Connect with the representative on LinkedIn with a personalized note.  When submitting your cover letter, reference the representative you met at the fair in the first paragraph of your cover letter.  
  • Maintain contact. Companies are busy doing what they do and may not respond to you right away. It is okay to send a reminder if you haven’t heard anything in a few days. Better yet, find an article based on what you discussed at the fair, or related to the organization’s industry, and send that along with your email. It shows that you are genuinely interested in their work and actually paid attention.
Woman in a black and white dress standing with her hand on her hip. Text promotes the career and internship fair on October 28.

If you have any questions, contact Career Services at CareerServices@spcollege.edu

Tips to Help Nail Your Virtual Interview

picture of SPC office with SPC cup sitting on desk.
Career News, Employment Preparation, WebApproved

Are you prepared for your next interview? How about a virtual interview using online platforms such as Zoom or Skype? There are a lot of similarities between in-person and virtual interviews, but there are also some key differences that you’ll want to keep in mind while you are preparing.

Technology

Download the necessary technology beforehand and test it out. Try it out with a family member, a friend, or the SPC Career Services team. Yes, we help with mock interviews!

Anticipate that your technology may not work. Let’s face it, there are times when technology just doesn’t want to work, and it usually seems to happen when we need it the most. You can prepare for this by supplying the interviewer with your phone number and making sure you write the interviewer’s/company’s phone number down on a piece of paper so it is easily accessible if your internet is down.

Doing this will not only help you combat your anxiousness if a technology meltdown happens but more importantly, it shows the interviewer you are prepared for the unexpected.

At an in-person interview, you are typically in a conference room or office space. Variables such as lighting, background noise, or loud employees are out of your control. With a virtual interview you can control your setting, so use it to your benefit.

Minimize Distractions

Try to avoid, as much as possible, loud areas such as coffee shops or shared spaces. Too much noise is distracting. You want to be sure the interviewer can hear everything you have to say.

Put the focus on you, not your things. Find a clutter-free space to sit in front of. Busy backgrounds or messy spaces can be a distraction to the interviewer.

Appearance and Body Language

Take advantage of good lighting! Do not sit with a window behind you, as this can cause shadows and turn you into an unrecognizable silhouette. Sitting opposite a window will allow for good natural lighting.

  • Dress professionally. Wear exactly what you would wear if you were meeting the employer in-person.
  • Focus your eyes on the camera, not the screen. This may not feel natural, so practice beforehand.
  • Sit up straight and remember to smile!

Additional Tips

  • Be early, but not too early. Logging in two to three minutes before the interview is scheduled to begin is perfect.
  • Similar to an in-person interview, research the company beforehand. Having notes handy is ok, however, you do not want to rely on them.
  • Don’t forget to follow up. Thank you notes are an essential piece to any interview whether it is in-person or virtual.

If you would like to set up a virtual mock interview, you can schedule an appointment in Handshake or you can reach out to an SPC Career Services team member directly.