From ‘deathly afraid of a resume’ to job fairs

Do you find professional development and job fairs intimidating? If you answered yes, please know, you are not alone! Apprehension and nervousness are normal feelings before a career fair, and they represent a genuine desire to succeed at professional development.

I vividly remember my first professional development step in college. Fall semester sophomore year, I started building a resume, LinkedIn and Handshake. I had no idea what I was doing but was nervous to reach out for help. Professional development is vulnerable stuff.

Embarrassed by my lack of skills at the time, worried I did not possess abilities employers wanted and nervous I would be judged, engaging in professional development and seeking support was a big step out of my comfort zone. To make matters worse, I was 20 minutes late for my first appointment with XPD. Great start!

I then met with one of our amazing career coaches, Erica Rademacher. My tensions and anxieties quickly subsided as Rademacher helped me develop the skills needed to grow professionally. Fast forward two years, and I am working for XPD, have attended multiple career fairs and am now encouraging others to attend their first career fair.

Take it from me, the initial step is the hardest, and I encourage you to let XPD be a part of your journey. Our incredibly supportive staff love meeting students wherever they are at in their professional development journey and want to help you succeed and feel confident every step of the way—including at the upcoming MN Private Colleges’ Job & Internship Fair.

I know, virtual job fairs can be intimidating. How do I talk to employers? How do I choose which employers to talk to? How do I stand out? How do I navigate the online platforms? How should I organize my Zoom background? The thought of meeting with employers can be intimidating and scary because they have more experience and knowledge. But it is helpful to remember that recruiters are people just like you and me. They are excited to meet with you, want to connect with you and want you to be a good fit for their organization. They want you to excel.

I went to my first virtual career fair during quarantine in the fall of 2021. The same kid who was deathly afraid of a resume only a few months prior went to a job fair.

Here are a few tips and suggestions to make the most of your virtual fair experience. By using the short preparation steps below, you will thrive and can even still sign up on the XPD website under https://www.csbsju.edu/xpd/students/mnpcjifair#march1faq.

1. Please give it a shot. I am so thankful I did. I learned how to communicate professionally, my confidence increased significantly and I am still in contact with numerous employers I met.

2. Create a list of three to five employers you are most excited to visit. The number of employers can be overwhelming—try visiting one you know and one you don’t. By creating a short list of employers to visit and doing a little bit of research on them, crushing the fair becomes less overwhelming.

3. Prepare an elevator pitch beforehand. By preparing what you want to say, you will effectively provide employers with the most important information about you. Want help developing strong talking points? Set up an appoint with an XPD Career Coach on Handshake or check out content in Canvas.

4. Practice your pitch with a roommate—or the mirror. Practice will help you thrive when talking with the most intriguing employers

5. Be confident. You have what it takes to be successful. Trust yourself!

6. Be you. Be yourself, and let your professional ability shine!