Growing up is scary, no? We all want it when we’re little; girls putting on mommy’s heels and boys watching their father tie his tie. As we grow older we dream of no one having to yell at us or tell us what to do. Sure throughout life we need guidance but we’re constantly hoping for the final freedom and independence that college will bring. Well, less than a month into my freshman year of college, my mind was made up: the grown up life is scary.
Once a semester, the Villanova Career Fair is one of the biggest events on campus. Every Villanova student is lucky to have such an amazing opportunity just a few minutes away. A few days into my first semester all my teachers were already encouraging each of their students to attend the fair. They would give a promotion at the end of class and always end with a tag line of “you all should go as practice for the future”. Although I understood that a freshman searching for a career with any of the big companies at the fair was far fetched I was getting confused with how they kept repeating the fair was like a practice run or dress rehearsal for something.
http://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/vpaa/careers/eventscareerfairs.html
As the days went on and more information came out about the career fair, I was getting more excited and more nervous. The best part about the career fair was that there were companies attending who claimed they were “freshmen friendly”, in other terms, willing to speak to freshmen about their companies and opportunities they offer. I was so relieved that the “actual grownups” basically declared they were going to be nice and less threatening to me than they seemed.
The day finally came for the career fair and a time for me to actually put on my mother’s heels. Business formal attire is the first step to proving to the world you take yourself and your mission seriously. I was lucky that Villanova provided so many resources to help me figure out my outfit. I have attached the links below. I learned that business casual and business formal in high school does not carry over to college. It is no longer about looking cute, but looking simple, classy, and put together.
https://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/vpaa/careers/plan/tips/summerjobs/dress.html
Next came the preparation. For my college application process, I was required to submit a resume. I am very grateful to those universities because it brought me ahead of the game. I learned at the fair that it was very impressive to all the employers that a freshman had a resume ready to hand out. In case you have never written a resume which many freshmen haven’t, Villanova again provides another resource.
http://www1.villanova.edu/villanova/vpaa/careers/plan/tips/resume.html
One of the first things I learned after arriving at the career fair is to arrive early. My last class only provided me with the last half hour of the career fair to attend. The employers are tired. They have spoken to so many students by that point that, reasonably, I understand that they probably do not want to speak to another student about something they do every day.
Building off of that, the employers will not speak to you first. You must introduce yourself and state what you are hoping to gain from the conversation. It is extremely intimidating but great practice.
One of the most disappointing parts of the career fair were the lack of opportunities for freshmen. Although all my teachers and advisers said the career fair is just practice, I was expecting the freshmen friendly companies to have something to offer. This is extreme optimism. Every freshmen friendly table I approached either said “you should try again next year” or “sorry we don’t offer anything for freshmen.”
Two things I enjoyed though:
- The vision of the future. I enjoyed watching the interactions between the juniors/seniors and the employers. It was clear that the employers were interested in everything the upperclassmen had to say and wanted to seek further potential. I am excited for this interaction to happen to me.
- The business school. Majority of the companies at the career fair were business firms and I have never felt more grateful to be a business student. I chose a wonderful school with an amazing business school.
I hope this helps all students, not just Villanovans prepare for all career fairs. I appreciated reflecting upon my experience and know I will be more prepared for next semesters career fair. I can only share my experiences but everyone else can only learn and develop from them.
Villanova Career Fair 