Why I didn't...and you should!

When I was a student at MU, I never went to one career fair.  Why?  Lots of really good reasons:

1. Didn't seem relevant for me - I was a Psychology major and it didn't seem like there were enough or any companies that would apply to my major.
2. I didn't have a suit...or really anything besides what I would wear to class or my restaurant job.
3. Talking to a recruiter seemed WAY too intimidating.  Really - what would I even say to them?
4. None of my friends were going (or so I thought).
5. Every time I saw any sort of advertisement I said to myself, "You are way too busy, you can find a job/internship another way, I will go next year, and what IS a career fair anyways?"

Do any of these reasons sound familiar?  Now if I could go back in time and had the opportunity to go to a career fair (as well as not have my roommate chop my hair off senior year), these are the reasons I would go:

1. If you are like me and get nervous for interviews, this is suuuuuch good practice.  Some students say afterwards that they realized what they would do well in an interview and would they need to work on.
2. The Career Services Center gives you a guidebook and map beforehand so you can map out exactly who you want to talk to - strategy is key!  One of my reasons for not going when I was a student definitely included the fear of the unknown, but with the friendly staff and the map, you are all set!
3. We have such a variety of employers attending!  Even if they are not recruiting for your major but you know they hire people with your background - it's still a great opportunity to introduce yourself and submit a resume.  Take a look at the guidebook to view employers attending.
4. Is one of your reasons not to go because of your resume?  I didn't even think about starting a resume until I absolutely had to but you all are so lucky because we have staff today and tomorrow (Feb 15 and 16) from 10am-2pm on the 2nd floor of AMU critiquing resumes.  Stop by to get some last minute advice!
5. The last reason you should go...is that this is the time to seize the moment!  Don't obsess about having the perfect suit, or being 100% ready, or knowing EXACTLY the job title you want - just do your homework beforehand, dress professionally, and take a chance! 

As always, our staff is here to help you prepare and follow-up afterwards - contact our office with any questions: 414.288.7423 | career.services@marquette.edu | www.marquette.edu/csc

Bethany Olson, Event Planner | Career Counselor