The first week of school is filled with happy reunions, a little too much alcohol (thanks syllabus week), and basking in the rare South Bend sun. However, as the second of week rolls around, the dynamic on campus begins to change. You’re already struggling with the class you thought was going to be easy, extracurriculars are starting to cut into your free time again, and you’re beginning to get a ton of emails from something called “The Career Center” regarding the fall Career and Internship Fairs. The fairs are invaluable for juniors and seniors looking to make connections for jobs and internships, but they can also be useful for underclassmen.
Here are some tips to make the best of the slightly intimidating experience:
1. Go
Even if you’re a freshman and you plan on spending your summer tanning while lifeguarding at your town’s pool, you should at least stop by the Internship Fair. Take note of what other students are wearing, what companies are represented, how people are interacting, and how to keep recruiters interested. These fairs can be stressful environments for those looking for internships and jobs, and it will help you later if you were able to internalize this information from an objective perspective when you’re not being crushed by stress.
2. Respect the environment
Congrats underclassman, you’ve decided to go to the Career Fair! It’s ok if you’re wearing jeans, right? After all, you’re not actually looking for a job. Wrong. Regardless of what you’re doing there, you are a representation of the Notre Dame student body. The recruiters are basing their opinion of ND students on everyone that they see there, not just the students that are vying for their attention.
3. Go to prep sessions
Personally, I’ve gotten about nine emails from the Career Center this week about sessions going on before the Career Fair. These emails can get overwhelming, and not every event you get emailed about will be relevant to you. However, there will be some events that are. Sessions about resume building and interview etiquette are applicable to all students regardless of major—and you should all go. No matter how much you think you know about this stuff, or how awesome you think your resume is, you will learn something from spending some time with the people of the Career Center. I’ve never heard someone say, “I just went to the Career Center, what a waste of time.”
4. Print your resume on legit paper
I could write a whole article on resume writing alone (and there are lots on HerCampus if you’re interested) but all the great stuff written on your resume won’t matter if its not presented well. This is a subject that Elle Woods lied to us about: pink scented resumes are definitely a no-no. Your resume should be printed on heavyweight white paper. Period. Do your best to keep it to a page long.
5. Have a sentence
You can’t just thrust your awesome resume in someone’s face and walk away; you actually have to engage in a conversation with them if you ever want them to read it. The classic “tell me about yourself” question often trips people up because it becomes very easy to ramble on about your entire life story. Have one sentence that describes you. For example, “I am a creative and motivated Art History student looking to expand my knowledge about museum management through an internship with the Smithsonian.” The more succinct you are, the more likely the recruiter (who is going to talk to a ton of people in the span of a few short hours) is to remember you and read your resume later.
6. Do research
Research some companies that you’re interested in talking to so that instead of leading off with “I’d like to know more about X company”, you can say “I’m very interested in your company’s successful _____ department and I think my skills of ____ and _____ would fit in well there. Can you tell me more about it?” If you can’t think of specific companies you’d like to talk to, at least research some big players in the industry that you’re interested in. It will pay off.
7. And finally, always remember… There’s always another one.
These happen in the beginning of both fall and spring semester every year. If the one recruiter you wanted to talk to ignores you, don’t write off your chances with the entire company. There will be other chances in other environments. Look at this for what it is: a great experience, but also a bit of a chaotic free-for-all. If you’re passionate about something, don’t give up on it because your great plans for the Career Fair failed.