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Sponsorship Guide
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By Alan Fine
Resumes
Resume format is very important. Candidates have been taught to have a nice resume that will have the proper lines bolded, underlined, italicized and appropriate bullet points. This kind of resume does not belong at a career fair. Resumes are now scanned into a database. The software used in the scanning process does not recognize certain characters and fonts. The following guidelines will help ensure your resume is searchable by recruiters far beyond the career fair. These rules also apply to submitting resumes via the Internet.
- Use the fonts Helvetica, Arial, New Times Roman
- Font size should be between ten and fourteen points
- Left justify
- No more than 65 characters per line
- Emphasize text by using spaces, dashes and ALL CAPS in place of bold
- Avoid graphics, bullets, underlining, shading and italics
- Use normal white paper-avoid heavier papers and colored paper
- Avoid keeping resumes in manila folders or oversized envelopes at the career fair. Use a slim portfolio instead.
- Make sure your contact information includes an E-Mail address. Free addresses are available at websites such as www.hotmail.com or www.yahoo.com. Remember to keep your E-Mail address professional, no nicknames or slang.
Appearance and Hygiene
Appearance at a career fair is crucial. The recruiters and hiring managers do not know you. The first interview will be your appearance. Do not dig a hole for yourself before the more formal interviews begin. Remember, the goal is to present a trustworthy and professional appearance. The following tips will help ensure your chances of being considered for the position increases.
- Women may wear light perfumes and colognes. Men should avoid cologne altogether. Some will say that men may wear light colognes, but there are too many standards for "light colognes." Therefore, men, don't do wear any.
- For women: a suit, a skirt and blazer, a conservative business dress or pantsuit and natural hose. With the variety of styles available for women, business casual is already addressed.
- For men: a dark or gray suit, white or blue shirt, conservative tie and shined shoes. If dressing business casual, wear a suit or sport coat and polo type shirt.
- Have a subtle breath mint before meeting the recruiter
- Avoid sweaty palms. Keep a handkerchief if your palms tend to become sweaty
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