Tips on how to prepare for the Network@Night career fair

Network@Night is one of the many events included in "Connect to your Future Day." These events take place on Tuesday, Feb. 22 and all build-up to the grand finale of Network@Night.

Elon will host the first-ever Network@Night career fair focused on creating space for all students to connect with employers on Tuesday, Feb. 22 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at McKinnon Hall inside the Moseley Center.

The event will be an important networking event for all students. The employers in attendance will have internships and full-time jobs available for all majors.

Network@Night is one of the events hosted on Feb. 22 for the Connect To Your Day event. The others include a series of Meet and Greets for several disciplines from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Snow Atrium for communication students, the Love School of Business Atrium for sales students and the McMichael Atrium for STEM students.

From 5 to 6 p.m., a diversity and inclusion-focused networking event called “Dine” will be held at the McBride Gathering Space.

The Student Professional Development Center has come up with five steps to help students best prepare for Connect To Your Future Day:

Step One: Preparing resumes

Get your resume ready to share with employers. Some employers may ask you for them in person or they may ask for you to send it virtually the next day. Check out some sample resumes here. Samples provide a guide for formatting and content, and you can make an appointment through Elon Job Network to get your resume reviewed by a career advisor.

Visit one of our offices during drop-in hours for any quick questions. The career advisors are always happy to meet with you one-on-one to be your personal editor, advisor or cheerleader.

Drop-in time and locations on Monday through Thursday:
Moseley Center, 140 – 10 a.m. to noon
Koury Business Center, 106 – noon to 2 p.m.
McEwen Communications, 101- 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Step Two: Research possible employers

Knowing who will be at Network@Night guarantees you have a better chance to meet an employer that aligns with your career goals. One of the special things about Network@Night is that every employer is open to hiring every major, for internships and full-time jobs, so review the list of companies and find a few that look interesting. Check out each employer’s website for additional information.

Step Three: Know what to say

Worried you won’t know what to say? The SPDC got you covered! Check out this recorded prep session.

You will also have the chance to put a self-identifier on your name tag. That way, the employers will be able to ask you a targeted question on something that you are passionate about. Then, let the conversation roll.

Step Four: Know what to wear

The dress code for Network@Night is casual. What does that mean? Jeans without any holes or embellishments are a perfect choice. Break out your Maroon and Gold! Wear your Elon sweatshirt or a plain t-shirt or sweater.  Pick some comfortable shoes and simple accessories and you will be good to go. Make sure to wear a mask that fits your face well and does not need to be regularly adjusted. Some employers might find it distracting if you have to continually pull up your mask!

Step Five: Know what to bring

The SPDC recommend that students have with them:

  1. A professional-looking folder
  2. Copies of your resume*
  3. A few sheets of paper to take notes
  4. A pen           

*Resumes are not required or expected for this event! Some employers may ask for a copy of your resume so bring paper copies in a folder so you can keep them neat. If you have a resume you are proud of that’s great – if not, don’t sweat it!

On Feb. 21, you can visit the SPDC office and print up to 10 resumes on high-quality resume paper for free; get a free Elon folder and free thank you cards! The folder is also great for collecting business cards from employers. These business cards are important because it gives you contact information to send thank you cards to. I also recommend having a list of companies you want to visit to keep you on track, and a pen to take some notes between each conversation. These notes will be very helpful when you go to write your thank you notes!

If you still have questions please chat with usmake an appointment through EJN or visit drop-in hours Monday through Thursday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.