Career fair anyone?

So this Wednesday, Feb. 4th is the internship career fair and Thursday, Feb. 5th is the internships, full time, and coop career fair. Looking back and thinking about what I've done correctly AND INCORRECTLY at career fairs is relatively amusing but also useful. I didn't go to a career fair either my First Year or Sophomore year. This was MY FIRST MISTAKE! I should have gone even though I didn't really want a job in the U.S. I should have gone, or at least volunteered to help the CDC at the Career Fair, just to get a sense of what it looks like, how people dress, where I would need to go, and what employers do and expect. My first career fair was my junior year. I was really hot and I realized my hands were kinda gross. PUT SOME BABY POWDER ON! I also realized that the last thing I wanted to do was think about my outfit during "impressing" time. Make sure to pick your outfit at least a couple days in advance and have it clean and pressed before the day of the career fair. Have updated copies of your resume ready in a professional looking binder (I personally like black). This resume should have been read by the CDC, a roommate, youself (many times), and maybe even an employer. Attend every resume critique possible. A resume can never be too perfect. Actually, funny story about that: well now that I think of it, let's leave that for another moment. Continuing with Career Fairs: make sure to practice your small "talk" about you (your year, your major, what type of position you are looking for, maybe a short professional background, and why you are interested in the company you have approached. This obviously needs some preparation, so go online to www.wpi.edu/+cdc and take a look at the companies that are coming to the career fair each day and do some research. Read about their purpose, their products/services, and locations so oyu can ask educated questions and bring up relative details about yourself that might make you stand out. The purpose of all this is to get you an interview where you can actually shine individually. YOU NEED TO APPROACH THE EMPLOYERS WITH CONFIDENCE AND ENTHUSIASM, becuase if you don't believe that you're great for the job, how will they? They're here recruiting for a reason, they know you have the tools, just research how to show them!!! For more info go to this AWESOME website on how to prepare for a career fair: http://www.programminginterview.com
Get out there!!!