Putting your face on the market

As the job market becomes increasingly competitive today, we all must work harder to put ourselves at an advantage. Employers are becoming more selective toward candidates and so the door to landing a hot job is growing narrow. So what can you do to make yourself known to your future employers? Sell yourself!

That's right! You need to attend every single job fair there is that comes your way. You must crawl your way through every crack opening that sheds a single light of hope for your future. It's not demeaning or desperate, it's a necessity! Go to the networking receptions & career fairs offered by your school. They do wonders!!

Always look professional! Dressed in no less than a suit. Hand clutching your resume portfolio. Always. Be prepared. Know your 30-second spot speech. (The sales pitch that you must offer to prospective employers when you are standing in front of them. You only get 30 seconds..or less!) Nothing is worse than a candidate who comes up to you & says, "umm..uhh..a..a..a..I'm Joe Shmoe." See my point?

Most importantly => always SMILE. Even if you start feeling nervous or says something stupid during your 30-second spot with a recruiter, continue your speech & SMILE! Be confident in yourself. Positive attitude will exude through your mannerism & the recruiter will notice.

Why put yourself through this torture? Because a resume is only a piece of paper with some name & a few credentials. But when you put your face to that resume, it becomes more solid because your resume becomes less impersonal. The recruiter remembers you & recognizes the confidence & great attitude you showed. That alone will take you so much farther than submitting a resume from just another Jane Doe.

And like everything else, practice makes perfect. Don't be dismayed if you feel nervous the first few times at career-related networking events. Everyone has been there at one point. Just relax & you will prevail.