STORY BY MORGAN GSTALTER
Drake University’s annual career fair is returning on Thursday, Feb. 12, in Olmsted Center. All majors and grade levels are encouraged to come from 3:30-6 p.m, the time slot of 3:00-3:30 being for seniors only.
One hundred and thirty three exhibitors will be visiting Drake from across the country as well as many local Des Moines area companies.
Kate Evans, Professional and Career Development Services Coordinator, worked on bringing exhibitors to the upcoming fair during last semester with much success.
“We had to close registration because we got so many interested companies,” Evans said. Last year, there were approximately 800 students that attended the career fair and Evans is hoping for those same figures.
New to the Drake career fair is the app called Guidebook, which is available for free from the Apple app store or Google Play store, Guidebook is an event app that has allowed the Professional and Career Development Service team, comprising of Evans, Chrystal Stanley and Annette Watson, to publish a guide detailing all of the potential employers at the fair and where to find them.
“We’re going paperless this year,” Evans said. “ If my daughter doesn’t need to show me how to use it, then anyone can figure it out. I travelled to Dallas-Fort Worth airport a while ago and downloaded the Guidebook for the airport since I had two hours to kill and I was able to see the shopping and restaurants I could visit.”
First-years should be familiar with this app because it was used during this summer’s orientations and Welcome Weekend. The app is compatible with both Apple and Android devices. The Drake Career Fair Guidebook is accessible by searching for it or with the QR code. This will give access to not only the employers, but also a preparation tips section for before, during and after the event.
Tips for before the event
– Decide what to wear: professional attire is required.
– Create a list of questions for each organization
– Develop a 30 second sales pitch: Name, class, major, relevant experience, highlight of skills and strengths and knowledge of employer
– Prepare a resume
