Career Services holds career fair workshop

The Office of Career Services continued their Wednesday Workshops series with some tips and tricks for mastering career fairs last Wednesday. 

In what career services called the Career Fair Playbook, students walked through the dos and don’ts of attending a career fair and making a good impression. They were instructed on how to present themselves, how to treat the employers and what to bring to make the most positive, lasting impression on their potential future employers. 

“You want to make sure that your resume is ready and up to date,” said Assistant Director of Career Services Alicia Womack. “You want to make sure that you’ve done your research on your employers and then, when you go, you want to make sure you have an elevator pitch prepared.” 

The elevator pitch was the focal point of the workshop. It’s a 30 to 60 second introduction in which you talk about yourself, your experience, your interest in the job or company and any additional information you would want to be a part of your first impression. According to Womack, these are the elements of career fair preparation students should spend the most time practicing. 

“You can plan an elevator pitch, plan what you’re going to say and think you have it down, but there’s something different that happens when you actually say it out loud to someone else,” Womack said.   

“There’s a new set of nerves that kick in and sometimes your mind goes a bit blank for a second. 

Those nerves are why she and the rest of the office encourage students to practice beforehand.  

“Students who are nervous -- come to us,” said Vrund Shah, a computer science graduate assistant with the Office of Career Services from India. “Come to Career services a week before the fair because we are here to help you; we will create an environment where you can practice your elevator pitch and whatever you’re nervous about we will work though it with you.” 

One student said she experiences those nerves often, but she knows the reason she gets nervous is those interactions hold great importance. 

“I do get very nervous for going up to employers at career fairs but one-on-one conversations with people that can actually help you with practical steps in your career is very helpful,” said Ivy-Janel Collins, a junior psychology major from Fort Mitchell, Alabama. 

“Very helpful” is an understatement, according to Womack, who says those interactions with employers are crucial to getting a job post-grad. 

“Networking is so, so important, especially in this day and age,” Womack said. “We find that 80 percent of students out of college are getting their jobs via networking instead of just a job board. 

“Career fairs are very important to get those connections so that you know the people and can get the job after college.” 

Even Shah, their graduate assistant, used the resources available at the office to get his graduate assistant job, by practicing before he did the actual interview. 

“I came to career services, and I put together my elevator pitch and my resume and got some confidence,” Shah said. “Then I got an interview in career services for a GA. 

“It was my first ever interview, and I nailed it – I aced it the first time and got the job.” 

The next Wednesday, March 4, students got the opportunity to put what they learned at the workshop to use at the Sorrell College of Business Career Fair.