Conquering career fair fears

I spend lots of time trying to coax freshmen and sophomores to check out our major events, like the Fall Career and Internship Fair, often in vain. “The Career Fair’s just for seniors!” “Suits are scary!” I’ve heard it all. But if I can’t convince you that it’s important for you to check out the Career Fair in your first years here, let Annie Martinez ’14. She’s got quite a story to tell. 

For this William and Mary sophomore, the idea of a career fair was scary. I was positively petrified to step into that room filled with employers who I was certain would ask me a question I could not even attempt to answer. Just the sight of their Banana Republic suits and Brooks Brothers briefcases gave me the chills. Yet last Friday, I found myself stuck in the midst of the largest group of employers I have ever seen.

As a student assistant at the Career Center, I help staff various events throughout the year. For the fall career and internship fair, I was in charge of welcoming everyone who came in and directing them to check in. When my bosses suggested I take a break and walk around the fair, I insisted that I was fine and content to stay at my post. Yet they were insistent, and when the boss says go… you go!

Shaking and nervous, I grabbed my bag and hesitantly walked into the fair. I hadn’t planned to stop at the Colgate table, yet as fate would have it, I was soon handing over a copy of my resume and talking to a Colgate employee who was also a recent William and Mary alum. She told me all about her experience with Colgate and how much she loved it, highlighting the internship experience she had as a junior. She asked me a bit about myself and after a few minutes, pulled her boss over to meet me. When the boss came over, he greeted me with a warm smile and a firm handshake that was comforting and reassuring. The nerves I walked in with began to quickly fade away. After looking over my resume and asking some additional questions, he began to tell me about their summer 2012 marketing internship designed just for sophomores. That night, they were going to deliberate about the students they’d met at the fair to decide who to invite for interviews. He asked if I would like to be considered. I was shocked and of course said yes. I thanked them and shook their hands, walking back to my bosses star-struck. I couldn’t believe that I didn’t even want to go into the fair and here I walked out with a potential interview!

I received the call that night that I had gotten an interview slot. Monday’s interview came and went and Tuesday afternoon my phone rang with a call from their headquarters in NYC. Guess who got the internship? This girl! I’m currently in the process of accepting the position and still cannot believe how silly I was to think the career fair was something to fear. So next time you see the business suits and the briefcases, don’t be afraid… they’re just waiting to offer you an amazing opportunity.

Don’t miss out on the next amazing opportunity. Save the date! Our Spring 2011 Career and Internship Fair is scheduled for January 27.