Although the semester has just begun, students need to be prepared to jump right into the fall interviewing season. The annual Career Fair will take place on September 17th with over 60 employers interested in meeting students of all majors to discuss internships and full-time positions. The Career Fair is a perfect opportunity for students of all class years to explore options, practice their communications skills, and become more comfortable with the art of networking. Career Services staff will be present throughout the event to answer students' questions, assist them in navigating the room, and provide support for those feeling overwhelmed by the scope of the event. Here are a few basic tips to share with your student when talking about how to make the most of the Career Fair:

• Make eye contact immediately when introducing yourself and give a firm handshake.
• Be prepared to share a one-minute introduction about yourself with the employer.
• Dress as if you were going to an actual interview.
• Seniors and juniors should wear suits.
• Have a few questions prepared to ask the employer.
• Offer a professional looking resume. Gateway Counselors are available to critique resumes prior to the day of the event.
• Ask for a business card or write down the representative's name.
• Speak with organizations that you have not considered before.
• Mailing a thank you letter to employers after the Career Fair is not only appropriate; it can also bring attention to your name.

There are a number of programs offered that will prepare students for the Career Fair. "Get your Career in Gear Week" will be held September 8-11 offering resume critiques and employer-led workshops. See the Career Services Fall calendar for more information.

When your student contacts you after the Career Fair and asks, "now what?" You can help by reminding him or her to follow up with employers within 48 hours of the event. Many students do not do this, resulting in dead ends. Employers are often on the road for weeks in the fall visiting dozens of colleges so it is imperative that your student take action to remain on the radar.

The Gateway program is inherently high-touch, offering students the opportunity to explore careers with a dedicated counselor and obtain valuable advice from Lafayette alumni through panels, networking events, and Externships. Students can meet with counselors in one-on-one appointments, as well as gain valuable information from them in group workshops. Gateway counselors also provide many services including mock interviews, career testing, and resume critiques. This personalized approach to career counseling sets Lafayette College apart from many of its peer institutions.

Career Services has now developed ways to include technology in our services without sacrificing the level of student-counselor interaction. It is obvious that this generation of college students is tech-savvy, spending countless hours on social networking sites, viewing videos on YouTube, and texting their friends. It is also clear that students are often wide awake and seeking career information at hours of the day when the Career Services Office is closed. For these reasons, we have developed a series of online tutorials that we call Webshops. These short (less than 15 minutes) narrated video presentations are designed to give students the basic information they seek about resumes, cover letters and the Job Vault (our online job posting site). Each Webshop has been authored and recorded by a member of the Career Services staff so students are getting the same information they would in an in-person appointment. By gaining basic information from a Webshop, students can use their time with a counselor for more advanced discussions related to their career planning and goal setting. More Webshops are in development for later in the year.

Another major technology-related initiative is the launch of the Experience Career Portfolio. This online tool is available as part of a student's Job Vault account and allows them to define accomplishments, recount personal experiences, and upload files that demonstrate their qualities and skills that can't be done with a standard resume. Students can build their Experience Portfolio by establishing a profile, customizing a resume, describing unique experiences, adding references, and creating a shared view to forward to employers. Workshops will be held in mid-September to assist students in using this new tool.

In addition to the major initiatives listed above, Career Services will now rely even more on email as the primary communication tool with students. Registration for certain programs such as Recruiters in Residence and the Externship Program will be done electronically for the first time this year. We have also updated and expanded our online career search tools, available on the Career Services webpage. All these initiatives provide increased convenience for students, as well as save on paper usage (our small contribution to Lafayette's commitment to being more "green.") Students can access the Webshops, Job Vault, Career Search Tools, Fall Calendar and more at http://ww2.lafayette.edu/~careers.

Career Services is pleased to welcome the Class of 2012 and invites First Year students to enroll in the Gateway Program. Through Gateway, students begin working with a career counselor in their first year. We help them choose a major, explore careers, and consider postgraduate options including further study. Students who participate in Gateway are more focused as they approach senior year, and less stressed about their transition beyond Lafayette.

The four steps of the Gateway Program (Discover, Explore, Prepare, and Achieve) provide a framework for the career exploration and goal setting processes. Your student works with the same career counselor throughout the four years, allowing for a supportive, individual approach to career planning. Activities such as workshops, Externships, internships, career fairs, and alumni panels are all part of the process.

Parents play an important role in a student's active participation in the Gateway Program. Through encouragement and active interest, you can help your student take full advantage of all Career Services offers, while still allowing the opportunity to develop independence and decision-making skills. Here are some suggestions:

• Encourage your student to pursue academic areas that reflect his or her strengths and interests, as well as to participate in some of Lafayette's many campus activities.
• Encourage your student attend one or more of the numerous Career Services sponsored events and programs throughout the semester. There is something for everyone.
• Ask if your student has visited the Career Services Office and borrowed any of the books from the Career Library.
• Discuss the benefits of experiential learning (Externships and internships) with your student.
• Mention to your student that Career Services can also assist in the graduate school process, we are not just for students entering the workforce after Lafayette.
• Tell your student that you are proud of him or her, no matter what the future holds.

"The week as a whole resulted in an overall personal reflection, more than just a reflection upon my future career. Even employees who were just out of college seemed so much more mature than two more years of college can make me. I left exhausted but also well informed. It is exciting, yet overwhelming to see what my life could be like after Lafayette.

Emily Bernzott '10, who participated in an Externship with a Lafayette alumnus in January 2008.