On Friday, October 10, Henry Ford College’s Career Services will partner with Marathon, Verizon, Firestone, Global Technology Associates and Industrial Career Pathways to present the 3rd Annual Career Expo. This event will be held from 10am to 3pm in both the Students Culinary Arts Building and the Student Activities Building.

The expo is considered Henry Ford College’s marquee job fair of the year, with 32 companies in attendance; most of which already have an established relationship with the school. “These are companies that are actively posting jobs on the Henry Ford online job board”, says Chad Austin, Career Services Officer. The Office of Career Services makes a special effort to promote this occasion; it has been advertised through the Dearborn community as well as surrounding areas. The Career Expo is free and open to the public.

This year’s fair organizers have taken the liberty of setting aside a room for students to get their head shots taken by a professional. These photos will be sent to the students electronically and accompanied with a cheat sheet on how to quickly set up a LinkedIn account since an increasing number of employers are looking to LinkedIn to hire students.

Austin stresses the importance of proper attire saying, “If you do not attend looking professional, we won’t let you in the door. I am not looking for 3 piece suits, but I am looking for someone who has made an effort to look presentable to a potential employer.” After all, face time like this is rare and may be viewed as an opportunity for employment seekers. Because of the abundant number of resumes that have to be processed these days, an employer may not always be able to get the in-depth feel for a candidate that only person-to-person interaction can provide.

Students should bring a lot of confidence and preparedness to the expo. Austin states, “If you know what employers are going to ask you in advance then you are going to look a lot better at a career fair. Students have a short window to interact with employers. They have to make a great impression right away. So work on your hand shake and asking a few solid strong questions that get the employer actively involved in talking with you. Leave a great resume in their hands if they are accepting them. Lastly, follow up. Get their business cards and make those connections.”