OOPS, I missed the career fair…
Does that headline sound like you or someone you know? A lot of my friends and just people in general missed the career fair or large chunks of the career fair because of random last minute things such as being sick or having lab work that took too long.
If you’re in that boat and looking to get out, I thought of a few things that you can with your free time:
1. DO NOT PANIC
2. Set up an appointment at the Career Development Center (CDC)
There are tons of appointments that can help you find a job. I think the most useful for someone who missed the career fair would be Job Search strategies. One of our career counselors will help you learn about things you can be doing to find a job.
While you wait for an appointment there here are a few suggestions:
3. Log on to Job Finder
* If you’re unsure on how to use Job Finder please attend the Job finder training session
a. Browse through job posts
Don’t just browse, make sure you apply to some as well. Adding a cover letter to your application might be really helpful just to give you that edge especially since you didn’t get a chance to meet the employer in person
b. Check company information session dates
Use the feature that helps you add the company information sessions to your outlook calendar. That will help you stay organized. Company information sessions are a comfortable small setting to meet more employers. Feel free to read more about information sessions on my other blog
c. Look at the list of companies that attended the career fair
With that list, be sure that you’re super proactive. The company list can be filter for certain majors which will give you an idea on who you should research. Once you’re on the companies’ personal websites: APPLY, APPLY, APPLY. Again a cover letter might be helpful for some places a cover letter is necessary.
4. Visit the CDC website for a list of upcoming events.
There should be events like How to Find a Job, employer resume critiques and even another career fair. How to find a job should be very insightful and full of great advice; Employer resume critiques are a good chance to meet more employers, who knows you could get lucky from one of those; The other career fair is primarily for life sciences and what not but be sure to check out those companies, even if you’re not in the life sciences just in case there’s one opening for you.
5. Go through the Business Card Database at the CDC
Sometime around Monday, all the business cards from the career fair should be scanned in. If there is a company that you really wanted to talk to you can check out that business card database and reach out to them. The business card database only exists at the CDC so you have to stop in. You don’t need an appointment to search through the database.
6. Reach out to your already existing network.
Ask your friends, family and professors if they know about any career opportunities that could really work for you!
Good luck guys!
Thanks For stoppin’ by
