This feature will be recurring with questions on career related topics, industry insight and our services. If you have a question that you would like featured on this blog, please email cs@nyit.edu with the subject line “Ask Career Services.”

I attended the all majors career fair back in the spring and I didn’t find anything I wanted in terms of jobs. What can I do to maximize my time at the next fair or event?

I often hear this from students when we ask for feedback about our events. There is plenty one can do before a career fair to get the most out of it. I advise our students to take a couple of steps in order to prepare.
Keep these steps in mind during our career fairs this year including the R:EACT Career Fair on October 26th, at our Manhattan campus.

• Review the list of employers that will be attending. Most will have their open positions posted on NYIT Career Net or on the company’s website. If you have done your research ahead of time and see a job posted on a company’s website, but it’s not listed at the fair, ask the recruiter about it. Perhaps they are looking to fill that position with someone who has more experience or they already have a candidate. For a full list of employers that attend, students can download the NYIT Career Fair App from the App Store or Google Play.
• If they don’t have a job that matches your experience and interests, it doesn’t hurt to ask about future opportunities. See if you can keep in touch in case something comes up in the future.
• Practice your networking skills. If there is a company that you are interested in but there are no opportunities that are a right fit, ask the recruiter for their business card or if you can connect on LinkedIn. Network with other attendees at the fair or event. You may make a new connection and learn about other opportunities that weren’t right for them but may be a great match for you.

I get nervous when I go on interviews. What should I do?

It’s normal to get nervous when you’re on an interview. You’re being asked a lot of questions about your experience and background, and there may be a lot riding on how you do. I encourage job seekers to go on as many interviews as possible as you will learn about yourself and the interview process the more you do it. It also helps to ease some of the anxiety as you gain interview experience. Other tips to keep in mind,

1. Be confident. Easier said than done; try to remember that you made it out of the applicant pool to an interview, which is already an accomplishment. The hiring manager probably sees tons of resumes every week and you were selected because there was an interest in getting to know you a little better and finding out if this is the right fit. Be confident in your abilities and candidacy for the position.
2. Think about some of the questions you will be asked and how you will respond. Practice talking about yourself, your education, and experience. Know what your goals are and what you can bring to the team. Schedule an appointment with Career Services for a mock interview and we can provide feedback and tips for your interview.
3. Relax the night before. If you’ve done the work and preparation, you should relax and clear your head the night before the interview. Cramming and feeding into the stress before the interview can make things worse and make you more anxious. After you finish preparing, take some time for yourself with a book, listen to some music or whatever it takes to relax.

I submitted my resume for review and I was told one thing, but then when I met with someone else in your office, I was told something else. Why is that?

Our career advisors provide feedback based on our experience working with job seekers, employers, recruiters, and our own personal experience in the working world as well. We each have different styles on how to format a resume, write a cover letter, and approach to networking. Our style may differ but we utilize the same best practices. For example, one advisor may recommend using an objective on your resume as long as it’s clear and concise while another may want to leave it out altogether. At the end of the day, we each provide feedback that we think will best help you with the job search process.