Josie Chiao, a second-year Computer Science/East Asian double major at UVA, had a daunting first experience at one of her school’s job fairs. She was overwhelmed at all the activity when she walked in 30 minutes after the start time.

“There was already so much going on,” she said. “Some students were changing into dress shoes, some already had their arms deep in swag, others were diligently taking notes and researching employers.”

As Chiao tried to get her bearings together, she was approached by a recruiter. Even though she practiced her pitch, she only got through 60 percent of what she rehearsed. Fortunately, the conversation went well enough and she was able to make a good connection.

Chiao’s story is just one example of what eager new job seekers might experience as graduation season comes into full swing. Soon-to-be graduates are already in full job-search mode and job fairs are a great way to get their foot in the door of promising companies.

In fact, the National Association of College and Employers (NACE) survey published in 2015 stated employers attend around 31 career fairs a year.

It’s imperative for career counselors to give grads proper instructions so they can gain successful networking experience through these fairs. Here are the four things you need to tell your graduates before they set out for the job fair:

Christa was one of the lucky few students who had a job lined up for after graduation. But when that workplace didn’t pan out a few years later, she quickly learned how rough the job market could be. After a month of her search going nowhere, Christa decided to turn to the place that helped her get her first job: her alma mater.

A graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder, she went back to their career services site and began to look at the resources they had to offer her. She found open positions that interested her and, to her surprise, every application she sent out received a response. After four job offers in nine weeks, she started a job she loved — all because of her alma mater.

Before you t

hink, “Good for Christa, but what good does that do me?” know that your university probably has support for you, too. Gallup and Inside Higher Ed’s 2016 survey, Inside Higher Ed Survey of College and University Chief Academic Officers, found 83 percent of colleges are creating programs to help students get “good” jobs.

If you think your university career services department or alumni center have nothing of value to offer, here are four reasons to reconsider:

Whether it’s taking a year off to backpack through Europe, or just giving yourself time to decide where your life is going — a gap-year is a healthy career move. But coming back to the job search after an extended break is undeniably intimidating.

Many family members and friends may not understand your choice for taking a gap-year, but you’re not alone. In fact, a November survey of 1,000 U.S. citizens by HostelWorld, A gap year, found a quarter of adults surveyed have taken a year off from work or school. Even though this year is used to take a break from both work and school, there are ways to come back into the workforce even better equipped than before.

Now that you’re refreshed and ready, here’s how to come back strong in 2017:

This post was updated to bring you the most up-to-date tips, October 2020.

As your career services team is prepping the future leaders of America to enter the workforce, it’s important to treat students as both mentees and employees. Exercising employee engagement techniques will not only prepare them for how employers will treat them, but also they’re a great way to keep college students focused, passionate, and motivated. 

While some students are ready to run full-force into their chosen career path, many are unaware of the challenges they’ll face upon arriving in the workplace. Unfortunately, 45% of employees do not feel their employer promotes a healthy work-life balance, according to a 2019 study from The Execu|Search Group. Additionally, 66% of professionals said that there isn’t much support for those wishing to take on leadership roles.

Keeping college students sheltered from the harsh realities of the working world is impossible. To lessen the shock, it’s essential career services gives them the tools and resources necessary to begin preparing for a career. In fact, you can use employee engagement strategies that employers use in the office every day to set them on the right path.

Here’s how to start training your college students for the big jump into their careers:

As a career counselor who helps college-aged individuals navigate jobs and internships, you know the importance of gaining relevant experience before graduation. But did you know the class of 2016 and other recent college graduates are having difficulties putting those experiences to work in the real world?

A Bureau of Labor Force Statistics survey found that the unemployment rate for 20 to 24-year-olds, the age when many have recently graduated college and are entering the workforce, is nearly twice that of 25 to 35-year-olds.

To help students succeed post graduation, here are a few tips to help your new job seekers land employment:

Some people think that internships are a means to pad resumes, but the majority of college students take internships very seriously. In fact, it often influences their career path. It’s evident that many students want to turn their internships into a career, but only a few make that happen.

According 2015 report by Looksharp that surveyed more than 50,000 college graduates, 73 percent of college students consider opportunities for long-term career advancement crucial when searching for internships. Despite their interest, only 19.4 percent have already received a full-time offer.

Here are five ways you can transition from a part-time intern to full-time employee:

As students prep for the upcoming school year by purchasing textbooks and school supplies, job seekers also need to prepare for their job search.

From using LinkedIn and Twitter to building a professional blog, there are a variety of tools you can use to improve your job search. If you’re wondering what job search tools you can add to your toolbox, here are five essentials to get you started: