Education majors can prepare at 6 p.m. Wednesday for an upcoming education job fair on campus.

The fall education job fair will be 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4 in the Grand Ballroom in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Jennifer Peterson, a career counselor, will be presenting at the education job fair prep.

“I’m basically just going over the dos and don’ts of a job fair,” Peterson said.

She said a lot of it had to do with planning ahead.

Peterson will show students how to use the career services website to see what positions are available and how to research the school district in which they are interested.

“You want to dress professionally, as opposed to slacks and a T-shirt,” Peterson said.

Peterson will also go over what to bring and networking etiquette.

Since the job fair is going to be for education majors, Peterson will talk about what school administrators want.

“Students go through so much training, and (administrators) want them to articulate well in practicum,” Peterson said.

Peterson said school districts want students to know something about the district they are interested other than the jobs they have.

She suggests students bring an extra copy of their resume to the job fair and come early.

“We can’t force employers to stay,” Peterson said.

As far as outfits go, Peterson said students should dress for a position one step above the position they want.

At the job fair, teachers, administrators and special school services will talk to students.

Diane Smith, marketing specialist and career advisor at Career Services, said the job fair prep could help students who have never been to a job fair before.

“They sometimes don’t know how to approach it,” Smith said. “(They wonder) what will they ask me? What should I bring?”

Smith said the job fair prep will help students have a successful time at the job fair.

Students will practice skills at a workshop where they will talk about going to the job fair, what to say, and share feedback from administrators that recruited from Eastern’s job fairs before.

Resumes will also be discussed, such as what information to say on one, as well as how to present oneself with a professional image.

Smith said some students do not go to the education job fair because they think they will not see their own school district there, but they often find one they like anyway.

“Students go, not thinking about a school district, but then they’re offered a contract from them on the spot, and decide to go to that school,” Smith said.

Smith said the fair was a good opportunity to start networking and pick up information, as well as being good for students to see what they are looking for.

Many schools throughout the state come to the education job fair, even some Eastern alumni.

One recruiter for a job fair has even been from Honduras.

One thing Career Services recommends students do before the job fair is research the employers that are coming to the fair.

Smith said having many people come to the job fair could bring potential recruiters to campus.

“High turnout shows students are interested, so recruiters definitely want to come if students show interest in having them on campus,” Smith said.

Cassie Buchman can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected]