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Get Connected and Stay Connected

The South Dakota Association of College Career Centers gives students and graduates from member institutions the chance to get connected with employers through various career events, encourages students and graduates to stay connected with their college career centers, and offers resources to ensure a successful transition from college to career or help alumni who might be experiencing a career transition.

Stay Connected to Your College Career Center.  

Your college career center can help you with your job search, connect you with employers and give you valuable information in your job search or job searching process.  Typical services offered could be résumé reviews, mock interviews, career-topic related workshops or sessions and networking or career events to connect you with employers.  To find your college career center information, check out our Members page!

Get Connected with Employers.

Each year in the spring, SDACCC hosts 3 collaborative career fairs for students and graduates to connect with employers who are seeking the skills and education that our students and graduates possess from institutions across South Dakota.  For more information on these events check out our Career Fairs and Events page.  

 

 

Career Resources

What You Need To Know About Writing A Successful Résumé

Formatting

  • Easy to read or skim, do not be afraid of white space!
  • Consistent placement of information, bolding, spacing, italics, etc.
  • Aesthetically pleasing and professional
  • Font size should be between 10-12 pt font for the body with headers and contact information slightly larger
  • Avoid using templates, instead look at them for inspiration and recreate your own

Tailor your resume every time

  • Thoroughly review job descriptions, highlight key words, skills and experience they are looking for and talk about it throughout your résumé!
  • If you don't have relevant job experience, talk about transferable skills and give specific examples of how you've gained or used those skills
  • Research the company and position as much as you can to truly get a feel for who they are, what they offer, and how you might be a good fit
  • Select Headings or Sections that will showcase your strengths and abilities in relation to the position you are applying for

Content

  • Typical headings or sections for a résumé might include:
    • Name and Contact Information
    • Summary of Qualifications/Objective/Professional Profile
    • Education
    • Experience or Specific Experience (Relevant, Marketing, Work, Volunteer, Leadership, Research etc.)
    • Honors and Awards
    • Collegiate Involvement
    • Community Involvement
    • Professional Organizations and Memberships
  • Content needs to be compelling, remember it should be based off the needs of the employer and should clearly give them an idea of what you will do for them based off of what you've done in the past.

Proofread

  • You should have your résumé reviewed at least 3 times.  Simple spelling errors and formatting issues could throw you out of the running for a position.

Remember, your résumé will help you secure an interview and the interview will lead to the offer so make sure that along with a perfect résumé you are leveraging your network and thinking outside of the box to show them you are the right candidate.

 

How to successfully prepare for a Career Fair or Career Event

Dress For Success

  • Dress like you are going to an interview.  First impressions always matter, so regardless of your career field of interest, you want to look professional and presentable.  Dress for career fairs are most always Business Professional or Business Casual.  When you are unsure on what to wear, you will never go wrong with being overdressed. 

Research Employers 

  • Research the list of employers so that you can make the most of your time during the career fair.  This will ensure that you make time to met with employers most crucial to your job search and it will allow you to ask some in-depth questions based off of information you may have found on their website.

Prepare and Practice your "elevator speech"

  • An "elevator speech" is your answer to the question, "Tell me about yourself."  This is the most common interview question and will be widely used as a way to introduce yourself to potential employers that will cover who you are, your skills, and where you want to go.  It is referred to as an elevator speech as one might get this question riding in an elevator in which you would only have roughly 15 seconds to answer.

What to Bring to Impress Employers

  • An updated résumé
  • Business cards (If you have them)
  • A padfolio or something to take notes on and gather documents or information

Practice Networking and Answering Common Interview Questions

  • Attend additional networking events to practice your skills or schedule a mock interview with your college career center
  • Practice answering common interview questions

For additional information on how to prepare for a career fair or career event, contact your local Campus Career Center.