Madison Rieger
Guest Writer
As a full-time student with a jam packed schedule, I often question if I have time to sleep much less attend program, Last year, however, I decided to block some time out in my schedule to attend a career fair sponsored by our Career Center, and I am so grateful that I did. I was struggling to find a summer internship, and I never would have found one had I not attended the career fair.
At the fair I asked one of the Career Center staff if they would direct me to someone I could speak with about an internship for the summer, and the woman was so instrumental in connecting me with a company! She introduced me to several employer representatives at the fair and helped me identify which companies were looking for an intern like me. I approached each table to have a conversation about the type of internship experience I was looking for, to learn more about what opportunities they might have, handed them my resume, and made sure to collect business cards from each possible organization or company. I followed up with each employer that day to thank them for their time and remind them of who I was.
One company I was interested in e-mailed me back right away, and we began to talk about scheduling an interview. I went on the interview and was offered the internship on the spot! I gained a lot of valuable experience over the summer, and I now have a qualification on my resume that I know will help me in my job search.
Although as students we may have so many obligations taking the time to attend a career fair and network with employers is such a valuable experience. I am so happy that I made time in my schedule to attend this event because it led to an opportunity that I would not have had otherwise. My advice is that it is worth it to attend events like the career fair even if only for an hour. Make sure to bring your resumes and dress professionally because you never know what important contacts you will be making!
This year’s Internship Fair will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 21 from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. in Judd Gymnasium, Union West. The focus of the fair is on Business, Biology/Chemistry, Humanities, Math/Physics/Computer Science, Psychology, Social Sciences, Visual and Performing Arts, Sport Management and Recreation. Undergraduate students from all class years and all graduate students are welcome! Students are encouraged to attend one of the Internship Fair Preparation workshops being held prior to the fair to learn about what to bring, what to wear and how to make the most of their time at the fair. These workshops will take place on Thursday, October 16th at 3:00p.m.and Monday, Oct. 20 at 6:00p.m. in room 349 of the Campus Union. Students can also schedule an appointment with the Career Center to have their resume reviewed prior to the Internship Fair.