Author: Samantha Greenberg

Registration is live for Siblings Weekend which will be held from April 23-24! Encourage your Mason student to invite his or her sibling to campus for a fun-filled weekend experiencing life as a Mason Patriot. Registration is now live on masonfamily.gmu.edu, and will remain open until Friday, April 15.

If your student is still deciding if he or she is inviting their sibling to the weekend’s events, encourage him or her to check out a few highlights of the weekend below. Your student and his/her sibling will not want to miss out on the fun!

1. Meals on Us- From dinner and trivia, to brunch with the Patriot on Sunday, meals are included in your Siblings Weekend registration!
2. Overnight Stay in Residence Halls- If your Mason student’s sibling is between 12-18 years of age they are welcome to stay overnight in the residence halls if your student lives on campus. In partnership with Housing and Residence Life, we will offer late night programming ] so your student and his/her sibling can spend time with other Siblings Weekend participants.
3. Athletic Events and Recreation Facilities- Siblings are invited to attend the various Mason athletic events during the weekend, which include both men’s baseball and tennis. Siblings are also invited to visit Mason’s Recreation facilities and compete in a Siblings Weekend tournament.

For more information on the schedule of events and to register, visit masonfamilyevents.gmu.edu. We will be posting frequent schedule updates as the weekend approaches. For the latest information, “like” the George Mason Family Association on Facebook.

Kristen Wright
Graduate Assistant
Family Programs and Services

February 13	Homecoming block party
February 13	Men's basketball vs. Davidson, 4 p.m., Eagle Bank Arena
February 15	Midterm evaluation period begins
February 17 - 18	Spring Job and Internship Fair
February 19	Final deadline to drop classes (dropping will incur a 67% tuition penalty)

February 13	Homecoming block party
February 13	Men's basketball vs. Davidson, 4 p.m., Eagle Bank Arena
February 15	Midterm evaluations
February 17 - 18	Spring job and internship fair
February 19	Final drop deadline (67% tuition penalty)

We have good news for you and your student – here at Mason we have been noticing an uptick in employer recruiting efforts over the past 6 months. Job postings are up, paid internships are up and employer attendance at various events is at record levels! Don’t let your student miss out on networking with employers.

The Spring Career Fair will bring over 200 employers to campus on February 17 and 18, 2016. A range of national, regional and local employers are expected including Northop Grumman, Raytheon, American Institutes for Research, Naval Research Lab, National Institutes of Health, Urban Teachers, Corner Media, McAdam Financial Group, Prince William County Police, and many other companies, government agencies and non-profits from around the DC metro area. Although the focus of the first day is Science, Technology, Engineering and Math and the second day is Business, Public Service and Non-Profit, many employers are hiring for a range of positions, so it is important for students to attend both days.

All students, from freshmen to seniors (and recent graduates) are encouraged to attend the fair. Attendees can expect to be exposed to various career options and learn about the hiring needs of employers in their industry of interest. Many employers use the fair to promote their online application tools, whereas, some take resumes and a few may even do screening interviews at the fair.

So, how can you help your student prepare themselves before meeting employers? Here are our top tips for family members:

• Have your student attend a preparation event before the Career Fair to practice speaking with employers, and have their resume reviewed. Check out the events calendar for event dates at http://careers.gmu.edu/events/.
• Make sure your student comes to the Career Fair professionally dressed to make a strong first impression. A suit is recommended.
• Ask your student to pick out about 6 to 8 companies before the fair to read up about and check out their web sites. Employers do not like being asked at the fair what they do! They expect students to know that already. The list of participating employers will be available a few weeks before the fair on our website or by downloading the Mason career events app Mounza at http://careers.gmu.edu/students/events/fairs/.

Finally, University Career Services is here to prepare and connect career-ready students for post-graduate success. Make sure your student is making the most of this excellent Mason resource by using it early and often!

Bernadette Davey
Career Fair Manager
University Career Services