CareerLab

Drop in to CareerLab to get your resume or Handshake profile reviewed, practice your elevator pitch or get answers to your career fair questions. CareerLab hours are Monday - Friday from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. (200 STU) and Monday - Thursday 11 a.m. - 4 p.m (DEV 101B). Virtual CareerLab Monday - Thursday 4 p.m. - 7 p.m.

Prepare for the Career Fair Events

Are you preparing for the upcoming Winter GVSU Career and Internship Fair, but not quite sure where to start? The Career Center will be hosting a drop-in event to help you refine your resume, formulate your elevator pitch, and learn the proper way to follow up after the fair to build meaningful employer connections.

Pew (Downtown) Campus: Monday, February 20, 2023, 3-5pm, 122E DeVos Center

Allendale Campus: Tuesday, February 21, 2023, 12-2pm, 200 Student Services

10-Minute Resume Reviews with Employer Partners

Sign up to have your resume reviewed by an industry professional, virtually! This is your chance to get valuable feedback from experts in your field including tips on formatting, content, and how to translate your skills and experience. 

Friday, February 17, 2023, 11am-1pm: Virtual on Handshake

Register Here

• Register - Register for the Fair in Handshake.          
  GVSU Winter Career and Internship Fair
• Update your resume - be sure to bring along hard copies to the fair (Need help? Stop by CareerLab).
• Do your research – Check out the list of attending employers and figure out which organizations you are interested in and spend time doing some research on them. What information does their website or Handshake have? What types of positions do they have available?  How do your skills and experiences match what they’re looking for?
• Check out employers sorted by career community for a list of employers relevant to your career interests
  Business and Entrepreneurship I Communication and the Arts I Education I Healthcare I Human and Public Service I STEM 
• Download the Handshake app - the career fair event within the app has information on participating employers as well as a map of where they are located in the ballroom at DeVos Place.
• Develop questions - Narrow down your list of organizations then list some questions you would like to ask the representative at the fair.
• Prepare an introduction - Having a polished 30-second or less speech to introduce yourself to the employer will help you to initiate conversation.  In your introduction, you should include your name, major/minor(s), year in school, career goals, and why you are interested in the particular organization. Listen to our podcast episode on How to Introduce Yourself which includes lots of great tips!
• Prepare what you'll wear - plan to dress for success: suits are not required, but dress in the best you have

We are currently recruiting Career Ambassadors! Career Ambassadors are our student representatives who volunteer their time and skills to serve employers during the career fair. Sign up for shift! 

Career Ambassador Sign-Up

• Engage! Put all that preparation to work. Introduce yourself with the intro you practiced, ask the questions you've prepared, and listen. Remember, this is a conversation, so be yourself. The amount of time you have with each employer may vary, so be sure to put it to good use.
• Track names for follow-up - It is always a good idea to keep track of the employers you spoke to. This will allow you to follow up with that person in the future. You can ask them for their business card or email address.
• Stop by our Ready Room - A place for students to get advice, input, and encouragement from career advisors, ask any last-minute questions, take a break from the fair, and enjoy some refreshments

• Follow up - Sending a thank-you note (email) is important in creating a good lasting impression. The note should be personalized to include details from your conversation that stuck out to you. You can also use it to highlight or re-emphasize details about your background/experiences and how they tie to the position. You can stay connected using LinkedIn. Interviewing & Networking Resources