Finding new job opportunities for growth is stressful enough, but doing it after the COVID-19 pandemic may have caused more anxiety and a bigger delay in finding the right resources needed. 

From internships to full-time positions, the University Career Center will host its first hybrid Career Expo 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 16 and 17 to allow students and alumni to communicate with potential future employers. 

With the event taking place at the Don Haskins Center on Thursday and virtual appointments on Friday, there are many things’ students should prepare for; from the proper outfit to proper etiquette. Director of the University Career Center Betsy Castro has shared some tips to help students and alumni use this opportunity with these employers to the best of their capability. 

“First, I suggest you stop by the Career Center and submit your resume to be looked over; it’s the basis of a good first interview,” said Castro. “Students might think their resume is good enough because they got a good grade back in high school. Well, things change once you enter the ‘real world.’ We want to help students enhance what they already have and make it more employable.” 

Starting with the basics, students are asked to email their resumes to [email protected] for any questions or concerns about their resume. 

“Even if you’re making an appointment to attend virtually, making sure you look presentable is important; I know we are all used to sweatpants but make sure it’s appropriate for meeting someone who could be your new employer,” Castro said. “It’s also easy for students to come inside [University Career Center] and rent out any items they need or if they prefer to buy new clothing pieces. We partnered up with JCPenney to allow students to get 40-60% off of professional wear.” 

The partnership between JCPenney and UTEP is a way to make professional attire more affordable to college students. All students may take advantage of these resources by going to their Job Mine account at MyUTEP, clicking ‘EVENTS’ and signing up for the ‘Suit Up Event’ and further instructions will be emailed for the discount available. 

“If attending the in-person event, make sure you get there early on Thursday. There is going to be recruiters from across the country and locally.” Castro said. 

The in-person event is scheduled to have more than 100 employers looking for specific majors and others who are open to all, according to the University Career Center webpage.  

“We want everyone to be prepared with their resume most importantly, so if you’ve booked virtual appointments; make sure that your resume is uploaded into Job Mine.” Castro said. 

Both days are set to bring in different employers, meaning students and alumni are urged to research all attending and plan accordingly. 

“If you have an in-person interview on Thursday and get a second interview on Friday, but have virtual appointments, don’t worry,” Castro said. “The Don Haskins will be open both days and we will have tables set up for everyone to do their virtual interviews and in-person interviews all in one spot; you won’t have to run across campus to make sure you’re on time.” 

Most importantly, the opportunities that lie within the Career Expo are steps that UTEP alumni took to get where they will now be, recruiting fellow students. 

“All UTEP alumni recruiters will have a little orange ribbon on their chest,” said Castro. “I think it’s a great show of pride for the school and to show students that we all get to the point we want to reach.” 

From reviewing your resume to what you wear, The University Career Center is there to help everyone reach their full potential. All students need to do is walk in the door. 

“I want students to go and open their horizons to what is achievable in their own major,” Castro said. “And I want for students to see other UTEP alumni in these career fields and hear their stories and see that to get to your endpoint isn’t always a straight line, but sometimes a few zig zags.” 

Itzel Giron may be reached at [email protected] and @itzel_anahi_16 on Twitter.