Many students know that first impressions count. Especially on job interviews. It is no wonder then hundreds of SMU students took advantage of the career resources on offer at the inaugural Career Day organised by the Dato Kho Hui Meng Career Centre (DKHMCC) at the start of the term.

From gaining basic hair and makeup techniques on how to look sharp for a job interview, getting free professional headshots taken for their CVs and LinkedIn profiles, to practising interview skills with an actual recruiter, students were given a golden opportunity to pick up useful information at the various stations set up at the event.

“SMU Career Day is a wonderful initiative by the career centre. I think it is important to learn how to present yourself when it comes to embarking on a career fresh out of university and there is plenty of helpful information that we can soak up from the many activity stations here,” said third year Law undergraduate Tham Zhi Yang.

One of the event's more popular activities was a session on using networking tool LinkedIn, to help students showcase their skills, connect with professionals globally and ultimately land a job.

Alvin Kan, an SMU alumnus who is a Relationship Manager with LinkedIn said, “While many students understood the importance of networking and have a LinkedIn profile, they weren’t familiar with some of the features that can help them leverage their network better. It is not just about stating what you do; it’s also about getting social proof of how good you are for example getting recommendations from your internship managers or your professors.”

“At the end of the day, students need to realise that they must go beyond having a nice profile to reach out to a whole network of people who can open the doors to new opportunities for them,” he added.

Career coach Ronald Tay, who is adjunct lecturer for the DKHMCC’s Finishing Touch programme was also at the event. Launching his new book ‘Career Conversations’, a collection of career lessons and rare insights into the lives of Singapore’s top professionals, Tay said he wanted to help young professionals and undergraduates fast-track their careers for success. Some of the professionals featured in the book were also present to share their unique journeys and success stories with students at a panel discussion.

Apart from workshops conducted by industry practitioners and SMU alumni, there was also fun and games at the 1-stop resource fair.

“I thought it was really interesting that students were actually playing at the game stations!” quipped Debbie Chua, Senior Associate Director at the DKHMCC.   

“We have career-related games in which students are quizzed on career trivia, things to do with business etiquette, their CVs as well as dos and don’ts during interviews. The best part is, they get to win prizes as well,” she added. 

All in all, Career Day 2014 proved to be a success going by the good turnout and positive feedback from students, employers and everyone who was there to lend their support. There are now plans to make it an annual affair.

 “I think the participation of several employers in this new initiative is a good encouragement for us to create more platforms for them to come and engage with our students. We thank all our working partners, and especially our alumni who are here to give back,” Chua said.