The Maryland and Pennsylvania Liberal Arts Career Fair was an absolute success and brought students together with over 140 employers and graduate programs to virtually learn about job, internship and graduate school opportunities.
For this article, I share my personal experience with the Career Fair from signing up for the event, to attending the sessions, and finally to the advised follow-up following the fair.
At first glance signing up for the fair could have seemed slightly daunting as this was the first event hosted through Handshake. However, by following the steps laid out in the emails from the Career Center, it was simple for students to create their Handshake account and sign up for the fair.
From here is where the student’s preference came into play. Employers offered a number of sessions for both one-on-one sessions and larger group sessions for information on the specific organizations, the jobs they entail and the process by which employees are selected. Once you signed up for the sessions, all that was left was to prep for it while waiting for the date and time to arrive. Preparing for the event may include researching the different employers, picking out a business outfit to wear during the meeting and finding a neutral background to take the call in front of.
I attended informational sessions for the FBI and the Washington Institute Internship Program. Both were excellent sessions that gave me a great deal of information about the programs and what I could expect when going forward in either program. While there is always a concern about technology glitches or miscommunication when going virtual, the sessions ran smoothly and gave me all the information I would expect at an in-person meeting.
The Career Fair gave students the ability to meet with many employers, even with all of the restrictions due to COVID-19. Following the Career Fair, it is good to send a thank you note to all the employers you may have interacted with and follow up on interviews as requested.
The Career Fair was a major success for the Career Center and the Mount community in general. The event continues to provide the Mount community with the best opportunities to prepare for life after college.