Preparing for a Career Fair is Like Planning a Birthday Party…

I know, it doesn’t sound like there are many similarities between getting ready for a career fair and planning a birthday celebration, but if there’s anything I learned from celebrating my birthday this past weekend, there are definitely some overlaps that you can take into consideration:

1. Planning the right outfit is key: Whether you’re looking for a cute dress, matching shoes, and that perfect hint of detail from a statement necklace; it’s important to dress your best, but still professional, when meeting employers. You want to dress to impress, but also remember that you’ll be moving around from table to table—so same for a night out in the city, it’s probably best to ditch those 6-inch heels.
2. Do your research: Similarly to researching and finding a good restaurant everyone will enjoy, it’s important to do the research on employers to learn if it’s the right fit for you. You’ll also dazzle employers by your extensive knowledge and avoid the “deer-caught-in-the-headlights” look when you’re asked a question you don’t know the answer to.
3. Make a plan and prepare beforehand: You generally want to have an action plan of where you’re going and what events you’ll attend beforehand. You may need to call ahead and make reservations or set up a game plan for travelling. Similarly, you want to make a plan of which employers you want to visit before going to the career fair so you can utilize your time wisely and print out an appropriate number of resumes to hand out. Be sure to get your resume critiqued before the day of the event and print out extra in case you come across an employer you weren’t expecting to be interested in!
4. Follow up with people after the event: Whether it’s giving thanks to a guest for being a part of your celebration or sending some love for a birthday present you received, you want to follow up with recruiters with a thank-you letter to express gratitude for taking their time to meet with you. This leaves a positive impression on the employer and makes you more likely to get an interview! 

So, next time you’re planning a birthday celebration or looking to attend an upcoming career fair, be sure to keep these tips in mind so you’ll be prepared and ready to have a great time—or score that interview!

Anne Monique Concepcion,
Graduate Assistant

Fear Comes From The Unknown

As a student in college, you come in undecided, and take a few GE classes, maybe come in for an assessment at the Career Center, and eventually decide on a major. Usually your major includes those classes you loved or things you enjoy doing outside of school. This decision and your path towards a career becomes easier once you start taking classes within your major and learn more about the requirements to get into and succeed in that field. What’s happening here is classic psychology, you’ve eliminated the fear of the unknown because now you’ve gained the knowledge and have a better idea of how to do those jobs.

This fear is something that comes up a lot in life. Maybe you’re hesitant to join a club because you’re unsure how they run their meetings or if the members are friendly. Maybe you’re looking to apply for an internship but decide not to because it doesn’t look like something you could ever do. You’ll never know until you overcome that fear and get that initial burst of knowledge. By exploring different paths, you learn a little more, and fear a little less!

A resource I believe combats this fear of unknown is Career Explorer, which is accessed through PrideCMS. Here, you can search a variety of careers and it will give you detailed information about the job such as average salary, projected growth, a description of the job, what education you need, and even the skills and cognitive abilities needed! By gaining some inside knowledge of the career, you start to overcome that fear of the unknown.

And remember, in the same way a stuffed toy or a blanket provides support and comfort to a child scared of the boogeyman, the counselors at the Career Center are here to support you as you venture into the unknown of your future Path of Pride. Give us a call at (516) 463-6060 and make an appointment today!

Anne Monique Concepcion, Graduate Assistant