Juniata Career Day
Juniata Career Day is an event that occurs annually where students, who blossom and shine, meet with a number of potential employers with smiles and organized resumes. However, there are also those students who struggle to bolster their courage during this event and are uncomfortable with their own adult façade
In order to succeed at next year’s Career Day, it is important to remember several things.
Prep Work.
Give yourself enough time to write or update your resume. For some, there will be that long and unwanted debate with roommates and friends about whether or not you should include the fact that you once won a hotdog eating contest or some other arbitrary accomplishment that you may be extremely proud of and is worth telling anyone who will listen. Your reasonable roommate will say not to include it because it is completely irrelevant to the fact that you want to become a [insert some professional career here]. However, you may insist that winning such a contest shows your determination, hard work, and willingness to go above and beyond. My personal tip: do not include it.
After writing and updating your resume comes the next challenge: planning your route. For anyone who has not participated before, there are a lot of booths. It is essential to know who you want to approach because it would take all day to just introduce yourself to every single booth.
Then, the extra fun task for girls: planning what to wear. This is an event that requires business professional wear. While I am sure some people had plenty of options, most girls were consulting their roommates about the length of their skirts and whether or not they could pull down the skirt another inch in order to be deemed as “acceptable”. Others were debating whether or not black skinny pants are appropriate since, technically, they are not jeans and black is classy. Be aware of the dress code and plan accordingly a few days in advance because it may save you some unnecessary additional stress.
Remember this is an event where you go up and talk to people. So knowing what you are going to say in advance is essential. Before you go to Career Day, make sure that you are comfortable approaching someone sitting or standing by a table and introducing yourself; name, year at Juniata, major, and what you are looking for (a job or internship). Then, depending on how the conversation goes, make sure you know when you would want to work with them. If you have any limitations, such as only being able to work part-time or any other scheduling conflicts, you should let the employer know in advance. Be comfortable telling them honestly; it will save a lot of hassle in the future.
At Career Day
It is important to stay calm and confident even if you are terrified. It may seem like everyone else is incredibly smooth and confident, but, remember, most people are just as uncomfortable as you are and the people you are talking to are humans too.
Make sure to make eye contact as you walk past booths, even if you are not interested in that booth. You never know when an employer may be walking around.
When speaking with someone make eye contact. Do your best to say yes instead of yeah or yup, and make sure you are fully engaged in the conversation. Make sure to offer a firm handshake. Wait to hand them your resume until they ask and be sure to have copies of your resume handy. Once you finish speaking, thank the employer for their time and consideration.
After Career Day
Congratulate yourself for making another step towards your professional career. Even if you think you did horriblly and only talked to your last choice of an employer, you still accomplished something. You put yourself out there you will accomplish even more next year if you use these tips!
Also, it is a polite and professional gesture to follow-up with those whom you have spoken to and thank them for their time and consideration through a simple email. Avoid being too pushy in your email, but remind them that you are always available to be contacted via phone or email.