The Career Fair is approaching! Can't say I'm genuinely excited about it, but even if you're not a soon-to-be-graduating-senior, it's certainly a good experience to have. The key, I've learned, is to market yourself well enough on paper so that the employers are interested enough to ask you in for an interview. There's a common misconception, I think, that your resume is supposed to land you a job: it's not. Your resume is supposed to get you an interview, and your interview is what (presumably) will lead to job offers.

Did you know that in a survey of 2000 bosses, 33 percent said that they knew within the first 90 seconds of an interview whether or not they were going to hire the interviewee? Quite a lot of pressure on our part. I've compiled some research and looked at quite a few studies, and in doing so, I've noticed a pretty significant trend: the nonverbal mistakes made by the interviewees are often the deciding factors for employers/interviewers.

For example, one of the most common mistakes cited was that 47 percent of interviewees knew very little about the company -- an automatic toss out in many cases. In addition, employers also noted that 67 percent of the people they opted against hiring didn't make enough eye contact. My suggestion is to make sure that you, at least, make eye contact with them while they are talking. Fidgeting too much, not smiling, crossing your arms over your chest, playing with your hair, etc., were also cited as reasons employers opted not to call someone back for a second interview.

As far as wardrobe goes, bright colors were deemed a turnoff -- and more surprisingly, 70 percent of employers said they don't want applicants to be fashionable or trendy, and an astounding 65 percent said that clothes may sometimes be the deciding factor between two similar candidates. (Seriously?) 

The Michelin Career Center is ranked #11 in the country by the Princeton Review, and Clemson University is ranked #4 by US News and World Reports for being one of the nation's leading universities in its efforts to grant students significant internship and co-op experiences before graduation. Be sure to take advantage of it. They'll help you prepare your resume for the job fair, conduct mock interviews with you, and help you figure out what exactly you want to do after you graduate. 

According to the Career Center, there are 10 key mistakes you can make in an interview: Over-explaining why you lost your last job; Conveying you're not over that you did; Lacking Humor, warmth or personality; Not showing enough interest or enthusiasm; Inadequate Research about a potential employer; Trying to be All Things to All People; "Winging" the interview; Failing to set yourself apart from other candidates; and, finally, the #1 mistake is that people often fail to actually ask for the job. 

In addition, you can almost guarantee that you will be asked one, if not all of the following questions:

"Tell me about yourself" ; "What are your career goals?" ; "What do you know about our company?" or, "What interests you about our company?" ; "Why do you want to work for us?" ; and, "Tell me about your experience at [insert place here]. " 

In all of my research, here are the four basic, nearly universal, tips I've come across to follow when attending an interview: Firstly, be ready to briefly describe your experience, articulately and concisely; Secondly, review your qualifications for the job and reuse verbiage from both their job description and your resume; Third, have a specific job in mind, and be sure to ask questions about the responsibilities you would have; Fourth, learn as much as possible about the organization. 

So, to summarize: research the company and familiarize yourself with the job description; practice answering mock questions; wear neutral clothing; be yourself; make eye contact; and, don't forget to ask for the job - or at least, convey that you'd like the job.