I knew something was up when two of my friends texted me in the span of 10 minutes, both asking, “Do you have resume paper?!”
My suspicions were confirmed when I walked out the door that morning and saw half the campus wearing suits, holding leather binders with the Cornell logo, and walking with such conviction that the other, casually-dressed-half haphazardly darted out of their ways.
Ah, the Cornell Career Fair. Every year, hundreds of employers descend upon Ithaca, make their way to Barton to set up booths, and spend two days chatting with eager, bright-eyed students. Day 1 is the general career fair where you’ll see everything from agri-business start-ups to the FBI. Day 2 is the technical career fair frequented by Facebook, Google, Hulu, and various investment banks. Having gone to these three years in a row (and a plethora of college specific ones), I have come to the conclusion that there are only 5 types of people you’ll meet there:
The Free Sample Grabber This is the one who’s only there for the free stuff. I’m guilty as charged, for I view the Career Fair as my back-to-school shopping – a wonderland where pens, highlighters, water bottles, and mints are plentiful and free. The Free Sample Grabber is not ashamed that her qualifications do not match what Proctor & Gamble is looking for. She hardly knows what the company does. Nevertheless, she will be circling back to the P&G booth multiple times to grab as much shampoo, deodorants, and other corporate knick-knacks as possible and stuffing it in her paper bag (courtesy of the American Eagle booth).
The One who Asks 982748 Questions You finally found the Deloitte booth but sigh in exasperation as you see the line winding around the corner. This won’t be too bad. 25 minutes later, you’re at the front of the line and there’s one more person to go before you awkwardly introduce yourself to the recruiter. You wait. And wait. And wait some more. The kid in front of you just doesn’t seem to want to stop talking! He’s prepared two pages of questions and researched every deal the company has done. The recruiter’s initial enthusiasm at such an outstanding candidate faded as the student began to give a detailed account of how his summer start-up in a third-world country will help him succeed in consulting. The recruiter’s eyes are darting around for an escape. When she finally accepts his resume (2-pages long, printed on fancy paper), you move forward in the line and bask in your inferiority.
The Confused Freshman Someone told him there was some career thing in some place called Barton Hall. He showed up in a t-shirt and cargo shorts. His every question to employers is, “So, what do you do?” The J.P. Morgan campus recruiter stares back, aghast.
The One Lining Up Because Everyone Else is But Really Has Nothing to Ask All she wanted to do was hand in her resume, write down her email address, and get out of these painful heels, okay?!
The Liberal Arts Major Falling Deeper into Depression About His/Her Lack of Employable Skills ”You’re triple-majoring in Philosophy, Indonesian, and Medieval History*? That’s very interesting,” The recruiter smiles at you, “Well, we are a global marketing firm seeking the best and brightest from Cornell, those with sharp business acumen and analytical skills.” He flips through his pile of resumes from AEMers who built their own start-ups and CompSci majors who are poised to be the next Zuckerberg. He thanks you for your interest, asks you to sign up for the info session, and hands you a pen that changes into a highlighter that changes into a numbing reminder that the “follow your passions!!” speech you heard in freshman year may have been slightly misguided in the current economy.
* Disclaimer: This is an exaggeration. I think my major, Industrial & Labor Relations is pretty obscure (probably more so than the three listed above) but I don’t think it prevents anyone from finding a suitable job. We are smart Cornell kids, after all.
So there you have it, collegiettes™. Now you know what to expect the next time you go to the career fair. Let me know if I missed anyone!